Brown sets up team to make G20 deal a reality

GORDON BROWN moved to translate his G20 deal into concrete results for Britons today as figures showed other countries were faring worse in the downturn.

The Evening Standard has learned that the Prime Minister has set up a "G20 implementation unit" in the Cabinet Office.

Civil servants will have to report directly to Mr Brown on curbing bankers' bonuses, cracking down on tax havens and tightening up City regulation.

Downing Street wants to reject criticism that the global deal agreed last week will have little impact on voters' lives.

Crucially, it believes the moves to boost world trade will have an impact on British jobs, many of which rely on exporting. No 10 today seized on figures showing that Britain's industrial output
fell by 12.5 per cent, whereas in France and Italy it fell by 14 per cent year on year, by 19 per cent in Germany and 31 per cent in Japan.

"The latest data shows there are many countries who are being hit harder than Britain," the Prime Minister's spokesman said.