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“U.K.’s worst economic crisis in 60 years”

LONDON: The pretence that Britain’s economic downturn was simply a blip was finally laid to rest on Saturday when, in a stark warning, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling said the present crisis was “arguably the worst” in 60 years and was likely to be “more profound and long-lasting” than people had been led to believe.

Mr. Darling also questioned the government’s handling of the crisis and warned the Labour Party had its “work cut out” if it was serious about winning the next elections, which are less than two years away.

His remarks, in an interview to The Guardian, contradicted Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s attempts to play down the seriousness of the crisis and his claim that he was the best man to deal with it.

Mr. Darling, who is a personal friend of Mr. Brown and was picked to head the Treasury essentially because of his loyalty to the Prime Minister, was brutal in his assessment of the Labour Party’s prospects in what was seen as a coded warning to Mr. Brown.

His comments sparked speculation about Mr. Brown’s future ahead of next month’s Labour conference where he is expected to face questions about his leadership. In a bid to revive his position, Mr. Brown is planning to announce an economic package to relieve the pressures of rising prices and inflation.

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