Now Gordon Brown's own MPs brand him a 'headless chicken' over recession



Headless chicken? Gordon Brown was attacked by David Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions



Labour ministers and MPs have echoed David Cameron's jibe that Gordon Brown is behaving 'like a headless chicken' over the recession, it emerged today.

Downing Street has been told that the blizzard of initiatives to boost the economy have failed to have their expected impact on voters.

The criticism came as the Labour-dominated Treasury Select Committee warned that the Government's 'piecemeal measures' to restore bank lending may be inadequate given the scale of the crisis.

Lord Mandelson's help for the car industry was also under fire as unions and the Tories claimed the move was 'small beer' and could take months to be implemented.

Mr Cameron used his 'headless chicken' barb last week as he clashed with Mr Brown at Prime Minister's Questions.



But it turned out today that both Labour backbenchers and ministers have warned No 10 that the public is becoming confused and have lost track of how much the measures cost and whether they are working.

One backbencher, Greg Pope, today said that there had been too much 'frenetic activity' from the Government in recent weeks.

Labour complaints about No 10 and the Treasury's stream of initiatives increased after last week's announcement of a fresh bank rescue was immediately overshadowed by a collapse in banking shares.

MPs are increasingly anxious that Mr Brown's autumn 'bounce' has ended and that voters have started to turn against the Government.

A Guardian/ICM poll yesterday gave the Conservatives a 12-point lead over Labour, with the Tories on 44 points, up six, and Labour on 32.



Mr Brown's supporters say his initiatives-allow him to claim he is working flat-out and to portray the Tories as the 'do nothing' party.

But Labour MPs at a parliamentary meeting on Monday were 'anxious' with one backbencher saying that a 'blizzard' of measures was doing nothing to settle the mood.

Cameron on the attack at last week's PMQs: Brown's own MPs have now stolen the Tory leader's 'headless chicken' jibe

Mr Pope said: 'The Government needs to slow down and take stock rather than having to react every time to the latest crisis.'

Ministers also expressed alarm at the Government's communication strategy at a secret meeting in Downing Street last Thursday.



Some believe health secretary Alan Johnson should have a higher profile.

The British Social Attitudes Survey today showed the public's appetite for spending is at its lowest for years. For the first time since 1984 there is no majority support for more tax and spending on health, education and other public services.