British prime minister Gordon Brown faced down his critics today, vowing to stick by his beliefs and fight on as Labour Party leader.
Mr Brown's speech to the Labour Party annual conference contained few significant new policies or spending measures and may not be enough to stop some party members questioning his leadership.
"I know that the way to deal with tough times is to face them down. Stay true to your beliefs," Mr Brown said.
"Understand that all the attacks, all the polls, all the headlines, all the criticism, it's all worth it, if in doing this job I make life better for one child, one family, one community."
After 11 years in power, Labour is lagging some 20 points behind the opposition Conservatives in opinion polls, putting it on course for a crushing defeat at the next parliamentary election, due by mid-2010.
Mr Brown took over from Tony Blair last June and lacks his predecessor's easy charm and some Labour lawmakers have openly called for leadership contest, fearing an electoral wipeout.
"I didn't come into politics to be a celebrity or thinking I would always be popular. Perhaps, that's just as well ... So I'm not going to try be something I'm not," Mr Brown said.
"If people say I'm too serious, quite honestly there is a lot to be serious about."
He admitted he had made mistakes during his tenure, but insisted he'd always "put my hand up and try to put them right".
"I want to give the people of this country an unconditional assurance - no ifs, no buts, no small print - my unwavering focus is taking the country through the challenging economic circumstances we face and building the fair society of the future."
In his speech, Mr Brown said he would increase Britain's emissions cuts targets. "I am asking the climate change committee to report by October on the case for, by 2050, not a 60 per cent reduction in our carbon emissions, but an 80 pe rcent cut - and I want British companies and British workers to seize the opportunity and lead the world in the transformation to a low carbon economy."
Should Mr Brown step down, the man seen as his most likely replacement - foreign secretary David Miliband - yesterday hailed the PM in his own conference speech as an "inspiration" and later insisted he was not seeking to take his job.
"There is no vacancy. I am not running a leadership campaign. I don't support a leadership contest," said Mr Miliband.