Europe is pressed on economic leadership: IMF repeats call for ECB to cut rates

Gordon Brown, the UK finance minister, has called on Europe to “show a leadership role” in cushioning the world from a slowdown in the US in a speech to the EBRD annaul meeting, London, 24 April 2001. His comments coincided with a fresh verbal assault from Washington, with the International Monetary Fund repeating its call for the European Central Bank to cut interest rates.