British Prime Minister Gordon Brown launched his party's general election manifesto on Monday, with a pledge to freeze the basic rate of tax for five years.

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown (C), surrounded by his Cabinet members, announces a general election for May 6 at 10 Downing Street in London April 6, 2010.[Xinhua]

Brown, who is seeking a historic fourth term in office for his Labor Party, said at the manifesto launch in Birmingham: "New Labor is once again ready to answer the call of the future."

"Our manifesto is not written in the past tense, it is written in the future tense," he said.

"We will rebuild the economy to secure the recovery and invest in future growth and jobs. We will renew our society to further strengthen the communities that bind our country together," he added.

The manifesto contained a promise not to change the higher rate tax of 40 pence in the pound, and the newly-introduced top rate of 50 pence in the pound for those earning more than 150,000 pounds (about 225,000 U.S. dollars) a year.