MICHAEL Foster backed Gordon Brown for Prime Minister last night as the man to ensure Labour holds Worcester at the next General Election.

The city MP, speaking after Mr Brown made his keynote speech to the Labour Party Conference in Brighton, predicted the Chancellor was best placed to win back the hearts of thousands of Worcester voters who have deserted the party since 1997.

Ministers lined up to back Mr Brown as the next Labour leader after Tony Blair promised to stand down before the next election.

Mr Foster said: "Gordon Brown hit all the right buttons, I think everyone agrees on that. He's the man to bring back the missing voters."

"He puts back into the Labour conference the ethical, moral visionary basis which we all came into politics for and that will appeal to the broad progressive voter in Worcester and elsewhere.

"Worcester is the archetypal middle England seat, anybody who looks at the seat will know that it will go to whichever party wins the General Election."

In Worcester, Mr Foster's vote has fallen from 25,848 in 1997 to 19,421 in 2005.