British newspapers said on Monday it was too early to write off Gordon Brown despite the Labour Party's worst local election debacle in 40 years, stressing that the prime minister could undo the damage.

Brown on Sunday admitted that mistakes had been made but rejected suggestions he should resign. He also underlined that the global economic slowdown was largely to blame for his party's performance.

The Sun and the mass-circulation Daily Mail, whose support is regarded as critical for any prime minister, gave him breathing room in their Monday editions.

"After Labour's worst local election drubbing in 40 years, he knows he has to listen and learn," the Mail's editorial said.

"For 11 years, New Labour has never had to pay much attention to public opinion because it faced no credible opposition. On a whole range of issues ... ministers thought they could do as they liked.

"Mr Brown's embrace of consumer-friendly policies is a welcome first sign of the new political realities," it said.

The Sun, meanwhile, noted that because Brown did not have to call an election until May 2010 at the latest, underlining that he "at least has time on his side — and the country's mood has rarely been so changeable."

"Things look bleak. But he cannot be written off."

Post-election fightback

Starting his post-election fightback with an interview on BBC television, Brown said: "Of course we can recover from this position and I will tell you how.

"First of all by sorting out the immediate problem with the economy and showing people we can come through, as we have in the past, very difficult economic times.

"Secondly by showing people we have a vision of the future that will carry the country — optimistically in my view — into its next phase.

"The test of the leadership is how you deal with adversity," Brown said.

"I believe that I'm the right person to take the country through these difficult times."

Brown said that Labour was putting "big building blocks" in place for the future, such as giving working families a fair deal and helping people buy their first home.

He said he was looking forward to taking the fight to the main opposition Conservative Party, who were the big winners in the elections in England and Wales, capped by the victory of the eccentric Boris Johnson in the London mayor race.

The local elections had amounted to a "referendum on Labour", but when the country was faced with a general election and a clear choice between the Conservatives and Labour "it will be very clear that Labour is the party on the side of hard-working families," Brown said.

'Time to get on with the job'

Asked if he would stand down less than a year since taking over from Tony Blair, Brown said: "I think it is time to get on with the job.

"I'm resolute and determined and I've got conviction and ideas and I'm not going to be put off by a few days' headlines from the job that I'm determined to do for this country."

Brown conceded that rumours last year about him calling a snap general election before he decided against holding a vote had been damaging.

"I let speculation on the general election go on for too long and perhaps I spent too little time on getting our message across," he said, adding he would now spend more time travelling the country to meet voters.

And in response to suggestions he came across as cold and failed to excite the electorate, Brown admitted he was "a more private person" than Blair.

"Perhaps I have spent too much time... looking at the detail to solving people's problems," he said.

"But to solve people's problems you have got to understand their problems.

Although he admitted he had made a mistake in scrapping the 10-pence tax rate — a decision identified by senior Labour figures as a vote loser — Brown insisted he would not bend to pressure to re-introduce it.

Instead, the government would introduce compensation for low-income families and people over 60, he said.

And he said he would pursue plans to extend the period of detention without charge for terror suspects to 42 days — a move likely to lead to another clash with Labour backbenchers.

AFP