Key quotes: Gordon Brown

Chancellor Gordon Brown has come back at his critics at the end of a week of Labour leadership turmoil. This is what he said in an interview with the BBC's Sunday AM.

ABOUT THE LETTER FROM MPS URGING TONY BLAIR TO QUIT

"There were rumours of course about all sorts of things happening during the course of that week. If anybody had asked me about the contents of that letter, I would have said it was completely ill-advised.

"And the reason is this: some people want to tell Tony Blair when he should finally make the decision that he should finally make the decision that he has said he will make about when he wishes to go."

ON LABOUR INFIGHTING

"I think we should do better next week, better the week after, and better right throughout the course of our government. Sometimes in parties these things happen, but it is not acceptable and I do believe that what people now want to do is to debate the future - about policy - and I think the issues about what Tony Blair will or will not do are going to be left to Tony Blair."

ON PHOTOS OF HIM GRINNING AFTER LEAVING TALKS WITH MR BLAIR

I was actually smiling, talking to one of my colleagues about my new baby... It was nothing to do with politics."

ON THE LEADERSHIP CONTEST

"I am happy for there to be a leadership contest. I think there should be."

ON CLAIMS HE CAN'T WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE

"My favourite sport at school was rugby. All sports are teamwork, but rugby particularly is about teamwork and I think teamwork is the essence of this.

"But you have to deal with some difficult issues at the Treasury.

"When people complain that you control public expenditure it's because the country wants public expenditure controlled.

"If that means sometimes people are bruised by it then I'm sorry but it's what you've got to do in the interests of the country."

ON WHETHER JOHN REID, DAVID MILIBAND OR CHARLES CLARKE WOULD JOIN A BROWN CABINET

"Of course these people should be in office...

"Charles Clarke is someone who did very well as an education minister. He ran into problems at the Home Office. I'm not going to hold against him statements that he made.

"But I'm not going to, because I'm neither the leader of the Labour Party nor the person choosing the Cabinet, speculate about who's going to be in the Cabinet."

ON WHETHER HE WAS READY TO BE PRIME MINISTER

"I am ready to make the decisions for people and to work with other people to make this country the great country it is at all times.

"And I am ready, I think, to help this country move into its new generation where I think the challenges we face are ones that, because of the values that bind us as a country together, we are uniquely able to say that we are going to be one of the great global success stories of the future."