Reports false,never bullied staff: Brown

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown rejected as baseless and malicious allegations published in a Sunday newspaper that he had terrified staff by shouting abuse at them and in some cases had physically intimidated them....

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown rejected as baseless and malicious allegations published in a Sunday newspaper that he had terrified staff by shouting abuse at them and in some cases had physically intimidated them.

The allegations,contained in excerpts of a new book published in the Observer,put Browns character at the heart of Britains political debate in the build-up to an election due by June that the ruling Labour Party is forecast to lose.

These malicious allegations are totally without foundation and have never been put to Number 10, said a statement from Number 10 Downing Street,the prime ministerial office.

Reports of Browns behaviour towards his staff dominated Sunday morning news bulletins and chat shows,knocking off the agenda a major campaign speech he made on Saturday to try and win back voters tempted by the opposition Conservatives.

Opinion polls put the Conservatives ahead of Labour,but in recent weeks the gap has narrowed and Brown is trying to mount a fightback. But his hopes of capturing public imagination with his pledges were dashed by the publication of excerpts from a book by Observer political columnist Andrew Rawnsley.

Among other allegations,Rawnsley wrote that during fits of rage Brown had screamed at staff,grabbed one aide by the collar of his shirt,and thumped his fist into a car seat,causing another aide to cower in fear of being hit in the face.

Brown has not responded to the specific allegations made by Rawnsley,but just before the excerpts were published he defended his character,saying he had never hit anybody.

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If I get angry,I get angry with myself, Brown said on Saturday in an interview with Channel 4 television.

Asked whether he swore at staff,threw things or shoved people,Brown said he threw newspapers on the floor but never,never hit anybody in my life. I dont do these sorts of things, he said.

In separate comments to the Independent on Sunday,Brown tried to make light of the allegations. I may have done one or two good tackles at rugby,but the idea that is suggested in this so-called inside account is just ludicrous, he was quoted as saying.

Rawnsley defended his book,saying that it was based on detailed conversations with impeccable sources.