Brown-must-go blogger Ellie Gellard now backs PM

A young Labour supporter who helped launch the party's manifesto explained today why she criticised Gordon Brown in a blog written two years ago.

Ellie Gellard, 20, called for the Prime Minister to quit in the 2008 blog, following Labour's by-election defeat in Glasgow East.

Yesterday, she played a high-profile role during the manifesto launch in Birmingham, telling the gathering that the May event would be the first General Election in which she would have the vote.

But hours after her appearance, her previous critical blog comments began to appear in the media.

Miss Gellard later released an explanation of her comments, claiming they had been made during what she described as "not a great day for Labour".

She said: "I do remember that post, it was right after the Glasgow East by-election, back in July 2008, not a great day for Labour.

"At the time plenty of activists were pretty concerned about the future of the party."

She explained Mr Brown's subsequent handling of the banking crisis had persuaded her he was the right man to lead the UK out of recession.

She added: "We all know what happened in the months that followed that by-election: Lehmans crashed, the global economy looked over the cliff and there was every chance that we'd enter a deep and painful depression.

"We also know what happened following those momentous events. Gordon Brown got a grip of the situation, he saved the banks and set out a plan which every other major economy has followed.

"The PM showed real leadership and courage in the autumn of 2008 and he's built on that since then, he's the best man to continue to steer our country out of recession and beyond."

Miss Gellard regularly writes on her left-leaning blog, The Stilettoed Socialist.

She told the Birmingham gathering yesterday: "This is a word-of-mouth election. This is a campaign which will be won by people, not posters."