Election frenzy: Brown takes blame

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has refused to blame advisers for the election frenzy that built up before his weekend announcement that there would be no mid-term poll.

"I will not put blame on anybody else," he told reporters on Monday at a news briefing. "Anything that happens in Downing Street is the direct responsibility of me and I will always take that full responsibility myself."

Brown said he considered holding a snap election but said he wanted "more time to set out my vision for the future of the country."

The PM said his "first instinct" was always that he needed more time to show voters how he was governing the country before going to the polls.

Following his announcement on Saturday that he would not go to the country this year, opposition Conservative Party leader David Cameron attacked Brown's decision as a poor choice following weeks of "dithering."

"We have not seen courage at all. We have seen weakness and indecision," he said.

Building on the no-nonsense reputation he established as Blair's finance minister, Brown has enjoyed early praise for his handling of a major terror attack, an animal disease outbreak, disastrous floods and a banking crisis.

But data from one of the UK's main polling organizations indicated Brown could lose the majority his party currently enjoys in parliament if an election were held in November.

The poll suggested that an election would give the Conservatives 44 percent of the vote, and would give 38 percent to Labour.

Asked whether the situation had been handled well, Brown on Monday joked to reporters: "I think your weekend has been better than mine."

The PM said of the decision: "I could have made it earlier, perhaps I should have made it earlier, but I decided I would make my statement at the end of the party conference season."

While insisting he did not want an immediate election because he wanted more time to detail his vision for Britain, he conceded: "Obviously I saw the opinion polls."

Under Brown's predecessor Tony Blair, Labour won re-election in 2005, meaning that a general election need not be held until 2010, however a PM can call an election early. Blair resigned in June of this year, handing over the leadership of his party, and consequently the premiership to Brown.

Brown also insisted the move to cut the number of British troops in Iraq was not an "admission of defeat" and that they were in fact winning the security battle in southern Iraq.

Brown is due to make a statement in parliament later Monday detailing his plan to reduce the British force in the southern Iraqi city of Basra from about 5,250 at present to 4,500 by the end of the year. E-mail to a friend

All About Britain's Labour Party • United Kingdom • Gordon Brown • David Cameron