A failure to persuade the British public of his progressive vision for the country in the wake of the financial crash is Gordon Brown’s biggest regret in politics, he reveals today.

In his memoirs, the former Prime Minister says the 2008 crash was his “greatest test” at No 10, which he overcame “through unprecedented co-operation worldwide in a plan for recovery,” which saw growth quickly return, unemployment start to fall and people’s savings become safe.

“We won the battle to escape recession but we lost the war to build something better. I fell short in communicating my ideas. I failed to rally the nation around the necessary fiscal stimulus and my plans for radical change.” In 2010, Labour lost the General Election.

The former Fife MP says he started out in politics as an idealist with a “strong, perhaps naïve, conviction” of what needed to change in Britain.

“Over five decades I have learned leaders need a command of substance, mastery of detail, problem-solving skills and an ability to see the big picture.

“But that is not enough: above all else, leaders need to communicate a positive vision of the future that can inspire and motivate people and mobilise their enthusiasm for progress and change.”