Health Secretary Alan Johnson said “the knives were out” for Brown after weekend newspapers published damaging extracts from the memoirs of Cherie Blair and former deputy prime minister John Prescott.

Blair said Brown put pressure on her husband to quit before he was ready to go, while Prescott described Brown as “frustrating, annoying, bewildering and prickly”.

“I think people are tired of this character assassination,” Johnson told BBC radio. “People have personality clashes, people have differences of opinion, they have it in every walk of life.

“Is he (Brown) perfect? No, he’s not, nor is anyone else in the world. But can’t we set all this true confession stuff to one side and talk about things that are really important?”

Labour suffered its worst local election defeat on record earlier this month, losing hundreds of council seats and the prestigious post of mayor of London.

Since taking over in June 2007, Brown has been rocked by the credit crisis, unpopular income tax reform, rising fuel and food prices and a downturn in the housing market.

He has also faced repeated questions about his public image and his ability to counter a resurgent Conservative Party.

After the series of setbacks, Johnson said it is time for the party to move on.

“In the nature of politics you’re bound to have people who don’t feel warm and soft towards you and they’re just all coming out of the woodwork now,” he said. “Just stop it. Let’s get on with talking about the things people really care about.”

Brown will attempt to shift the focus back onto policies on Monday with a speech that calls for radical reform of the social care system.

He has launched a six month debate on how to meet the rising cost of looking after elderly and disabled people in a rapidly ageing population.

Government estimates suggest there could be a six billion pound annual shortfall in funding within 20 years. Brown said he wants to help people who could be forced to sell their homes to pay for carers.

“We can and must look to give people the opportunity and the support to save for their old age in a way which protects their houses and their inheritance,” he is due to say.

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