The new face to be at 10 Downing

Brown to end Blair's terror strategy

As Mr Brown prepares to take over from Mr Blair, he is determined to signal a dramatic shift in the way No 10 handles its relations with the Bush White House.

Laying out his plans for a more distinctly British premiership than Mr Blair's, Mr Brown said he looked forward to working with Mr Bush and recognised the need for close links with the Americans.

But, when asked if he would stick as closely to the president as Mr Blair had, he replied: "Obviously people who know me know that I will speak my mind. I'll be very frank.

"The British national interest is what I and my colleagues are about."

Mr Brown, who backed the 2003 Iraq invasion, said he had since learned that only so much could be achieved against terrorists and religious fanatics by brute military force, intelligence, security work and policing. In terms that will appeal to many Labour supporters but anger Mr Blair — and some in Washington — he said the fight to stop "extremist terrorist activities" would only be won after world leaders triumphed in a peaceful battle for "hearts and minds".

Suggesting that he would not follow Washington into any future military action against rogue nations such as Iran, Mr Brown said the kind of "cultural war" fought by the West against Communism in the 1940s and 1950s could be a "model" for the next chapter of the war on terror.

While he accepted his share of responsibility for Iraq — and was at pains to describe Mr Blair as a "brilliant Prime Minister" — his comments were part of a clear attempt to break with the Prime Minister's Iraq policies and conduct of policy with the US.