Gordon Brown said sorry on Monday for the first time for the impact of the abolition of the 10p tax rate on poorer people, but he could still face a Labour rebellion if he fails to explain fully how he will compensate them.

With Labour facing a battering in local elections on Thursday, Mr Brown struck an unusually contrite note as he toured north-west England, accepting that tougher economic times made the scrapping of the 10p band harder to bear.