US leadership key to world economy, says Brown

BRITISH prime minister Gordon Brown said yesterday that US leadership is “central” to restoring stability to the battered world economy, stressing the challenge facing Barack Obama or John McCain.

Speaking before the US presidential vote, Brown said “even more international cooperation” will be needed to counter financial turbulence in coming months.

Brown is on a four-day tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, during which he hopes to persuade the oil-rich states to give some of their wealth to boost the International Monetary Fund (IMF).