BRITAIN BACK WITH A BOOM BY NEXT YEAR; BRIGHTON 09 LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Byline: BOB ROBERTS

GORDON Brown yesterday predicted the economy could return to boom times by the end of next year.

At the close of the G20 economic summit in Pittsburgh he said world leaders had agreed to push ahead with the multi-billion pound package of measures to boost the global economy agreed at their London meeting in April.

And he said if they kept going the International Monetary Fund reckoned the worldwide economy could return to 3% growth by the end of 2010. "That is a major improvement on where we are now and represents what could come as a result of the common action we are taking," he said.

He added: "The action we took at the London summit has worked. The economy has been prevented from descending from a recession to a great depression as a result of co-ordinated action."

It is the most upbeat assessment of the economy by the PM since the collapse of the banks last year.

The last time 3% growth was seen in the UK was at the height of the boom in 2007. But Mr Brown also warned the world still had to keep acting together to make sure the recovery took hold and gathered pace.

"The recession is not over," he said.

"It is not automatic that we are going to recover. We have got to ensure that the recovery happens.

"The path is still very fragile - fragile in the banking system and fragile in the way different economies are finding different difficulties as they move forward."

He said it was only the Conservatives who were isolated internationally in their insistence that state support for the economy should be scaled back immediately, putting growth and jobs at risk.

GORDON 'DOESN'T FEAR TV DUEL'

GORDON Brown is ready for a TV debate with David Cameron and has nothing to fear, Labour's election chief told the Mirror.

Douglas Alexander said the PM would welcome the televised duel.

The whole Cabinet would be up for debates with their Tory opposite numbers as the election campaign for next May hots up, he added.

Mr Alexander, Labour's election co-ordinator, said: "I don't think Gordon has anything to fear from a TV debate. When he speaks directly to people about politics we are at our strongest.

"That's why, as we plan the election campaign, we will be determined to give him the opportunities to speak directly to the kind of people he came into politics to support."

His words indicate Mr Alexander plans a campaign with Mr Brown in many public meetings, radio and TV phone-ins and even soap-box spots.

Voice of the Mirror: Page 8

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