Brown seeks 'fairer world order' with US

The Prime Minister will call for the UK and the United States to lead the fight for a new, fairer world order and to forge a new multilateralism.

He will appeal for "rejection of beggar-thy-neighbour protectionism that has been a feature in transforming past crises into deep recessions".

Mr Brown will travel to Washington this week where he will take part in a summit to tackle the economic crisis.

In his speech at the Lord Mayor's Mansion House in London today, Mr Brown will say: "My message is that we must be internationalist, not protectionist; interventionist, not neutral; progressive, not reactive; and forward-looking, not frozen by events. We can seize the moment and in doing so build a truly global society."

Mr Brown will say that the alliance between Britain, the US and Europe should be used to lead the global effort and build a "more just international order".

Referring to the victory of president-elect Obama, he will say: "As America stands at its own dawn of hope, so let that hope be fulfilled through a pact with the wider world to lead and shape the 21st century as the century of a truly global society.

"I believe the whole of Europe can work closely with America to meet the great challenges which will test our resolution, illuminate our convictions."

He will outline five key challenges facing the world: reasserting faith in democracy; strengthening the global economy; tackling climate change; resolving conflict; and meeting millennium development goals on poverty.

Mr Brown will also work with the Group of 20 (G20) countries this weekend to boost the International Monetary Fund's ability to act as an early-warning system for economic crises around the world.

Nationalists still aiming for 20 MPs

DEFEAT at the Glenrothes by-election has not deterred the Scottish National Party from aiming to win 20 seats at the next general election, Alex Salmond said.

Labour's victory has left the SNP on the back foot, but the First Minister said he would still aim to quadruple the party's representation at Westminster.

"It's an ambitious target, certainly, but it's a target we hold to because that would be good for Scotland," he said.

His remarks came as a poll showed that despite the by-election win, Labour was still behind the Conservatives.

A poll for a Sunday newspaper showed Labour on 30 per cent, behind the Tories, on 43 per cent. Such a result at a general election would leave the Tories with an 80-seat majority.