Britain's Treasury chief has told a newspaper that the country is suffering its worst economic crisis for 60 years, and more pain is yet to come.



The Guardian newspaper has quoted Alistair Darling as saying the slump is ``going to be more profound and long-lasting than people thought''.



In an interview for the paper's weekend edition, Darling said the economic conditions faced by Britain and the world ``are arguably the worst they have been in 60 years''.



Darling also acknowledged that voters were angry with the governing Labour Party, which has been in power for 11 years.



``This coming 12 months will be the most difficult 12 months the Labour Party has had in a generation, quite frankly,'' Darling said.



``We've got to rediscover that zeal which won three elections, and that is a huge problem for us at the moment.''



Britain is suffering fallout from spiralling energy prices and the global credit crunch. House prices are plummeting for the first time in more than a decade, and the fast-rising cost of fuel and staple foods has pushed inflation to more than double the government's two percent target.



British economic growth ground to a halt between April and June, ending more than 15 years of continuous expansion, and the British Chambers of Commerce has warned that recession is likely within the next six to nine months.



AP