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Brown draws laughs for 'saving the world'

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-11 11:11

LONDON -- Prime Minister Gordon Brown triggered laughter in parliament on Wednesday when he accidentally said he had saved the world during questions about the global financial crisis. 

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown leaves 10 Downing Street for Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons in London December 10, 2008. [Agencies]

The gaffe was seized on by Brown's political opponents and by newspaper cartoonists, who depict him as "Super Gordon," the leotard-wearing economic saviour who is convinced only he can deliver the world from the financial turmoil.

"The first point of recapitalisation was to save banks that would otherwise have collapsed," Brown told lawmakers. He then added: "And we not only saved the world, er, saved the banks..."

His subsequent words were drowned out by jeers and laughter from around the lower house of parliament.

Conservative opposition leader David Cameron, whose poll lead has slipped in recent weeks as voters look to Brown to fix the economy, seized on the slip.

"Well it's now on the record," he said. "He is so busy talking about saving the world that he's forgotten about the businesses of this country."