Brown and Thatcher 'one on Union'

"I stand with people like Mrs Thatcher, who believed that the Union was important to the Conservatives. I believe the Union is important to the Labour Party." - Gordon Brown

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GORDON Brown has declared that he "stands with Margaret Thatcher" in defence of the Union between Scotland and England.

The Chancellor's public praise for the former Conservative prime minister's attitude to Scotland was scorned as "a betrayal" by the Scottish National Party.

Mr Brown's statement came as he steps up his attempts to woo English voters in support of his efforts to replace Tony Blair as prime minister next year.

Lauding the shared values of the UK, Mr Brown described himself as "a Scot who's part of Britain".

Mr Brown continued: "What people should remember is that for 20 years, we've been fighting against the Nationalists, people who would tear Scotland away from the rest of the Union." Mr Brown also attacked the Tories, referring to recent calls by some Conservative MPs to bar Scottish MPs from voting on English legislation at Westminster, something Labour says would endanger the Union.

"I've always stood up for the Union against the Nationalists and against those people in the Conservative Party who say that the Union doesn't matter any more," Mr Brown said. "I stand with people like Mrs Thatcher, who believed that the Union was important to the Conservatives. I believe the Union is important to the Labour Party."

Alex Salmond, the SNP leader, derided the Chancellor as "a man prepared to trade his nationality for the prime minister's job".

He said: "The Brown charm offensive in Middle England has climaxed in neo-Thatcherism. Gordon Brown doesn't seem to realise that this isn't going to convince anyone south of the Border, but many people in Scotland will regard this as a betrayal."

Mr Brown's remarks came in an interview with Sky News, as part of a concerted effort to reinforce his leadership credentials after last week's bitter Labour infighting.

Seven MPs quit the government over the Prime Minister's refusal to confirm when he will step down.

Mr Blair then held a meeting with his most likely successor, amid reports of unprecedented acrimony between the pair. At a union conference on Tuesday, Brown called himself a dedicated "Blairite".

This is not the first time Brown has been accused of betraying his nationality. During the World Cup in July, he listed a goal scored by England against Scotland as one of his favourite memories.

Our baby grief

GORDON Brown spoke openly for the first time about his grief following the death of his daughter, Jennifer, in 2002 after ten days of life.

"You always know that there's something missing. Two weeks ago she would have been going to school for the first time," he said.

"She was unblemished by the illness that she had. She just looked beautiful."

After a short pause, the Chancellor added tearfully: "She ... she died in our arms."

Mr Brown's wife, Sarah, later established The Jennifer Brown Fund to support research on mother and baby difficulties.