This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7613701.stm

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
More calls due for Labour contest Ryan adds to Labour contest call
(about 7 hours later)
More Labour MPs are expected to join the calls for a party leadership contest after a junior minister was sacked for doing so. The Labour MP Joan Ryan has confirmed that she has also written to the party asking for a leadership election.
BBC correspondent Carole Walker says about a dozen MPs have asked for leadership nomination papers. Ms Ryan, a Labour Party vice chair, confirmed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she had asked for nomination papers.
Junior whip Siobhain McDonagh was fired after saying she wanted the debate on the leadership to be out in the open. It comes after junior whip Siobhain McDonagh was fired after saying she wanted the debate on Gordon Brown's leadership to be out in the open.
Meanwhile, six ex-Labour ministers have signed an article calling for a "new narrative" from Labour. More Labour MPs are expected to join the calls for a leadership contest.
Our correspondent said Siobhain McDonagh was one of around a dozen Labour MPs who have written to the party requesting leadership nomination papers before Labour's annual conference. 'Hard to do'
No campaign But Ms Ryan told the Today programme she was not part of a plot.
Several of these are expected to air their views in the next few days, our correspondent says. "I know there's a lot of people feel the same way and I know they find it very difficult to openly raise this issue," she said.
There is no sign of a campaign behind any candidate yet, but there does appear to be a growing momentum behind the efforts to force a contest, she adds. FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm">More from Today programme
"I find it very hard. I'm a loyalist to my government. I have never voted against my government. This is a very hard thing to do. "But I actually feel now this is the most responsible thing I can do and I would be irresponsible if I didn't now speak up."
But Tony Lloyd, the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, said he was did not know of any great amount of support for Ms Ryan's position.
"What it does represent is a handful of people who are not joined by the overwhelming majority of Labour MPs," he said.
I believe that those involved in this believe they do not currently have the numbers, but they want to create a momentum BBC political editor Nick Robinson
And in an interview in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday Schools Secretary Ed Balls, one of Gordon Brown's most senior allies, said there was "very little chance" of the prime minister being ousted before the next election.
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the Labour Party had told him there were nine Labour MPs who had written asking for leadership nomination papers to be sent out.
'New narrative'
Several more Labour MPs are expected to air their views in the next few days.
Seventy MPs would have to nominate a challenger to Gordon Brown to force a leadership contest.Seventy MPs would have to nominate a challenger to Gordon Brown to force a leadership contest.
The six former ministers who have called for a "convincing new narrative" from Labour include ex-health secretary Patricia Hewitt. Our political editor said: "I believe that those involved in this believe they do not currently have the numbers, but they want to create a momentum."
They are among 12 Labour MPs who signed the article in Progress magazine. He added: "There will be MPs thinking 'is it time for me to move?'"
Our most urgent task is to renew confidence in our economic competence so that people know that the country will come out of the current downturn with a resilient economy and a cohesive society Progress article Meanwhile six former ministers are among 12 Labour MPs who signed the article in Progress magazine calling for a "convincing new narrative" from Labour.
They wrote: "Labour needs to provide a convincing new narrative if left-of-centre politics are to remain the driving force in Britain. Our most urgent task is to renew confidence in our economic competence so that people know that the country will come out of the current downturn with a resilient economy and a cohesive society Progress article They wrote: "Labour needs to provide a convincing new narrative if left-of-centre politics are to remain the driving force in Britain.
"This has to be more than a series of policy initiatives. It has to set a new framework for post-credit crunch Britain.""This has to be more than a series of policy initiatives. It has to set a new framework for post-credit crunch Britain."
They also said it was an urgent task for the party to "renew confidence in our economic competence", and described recent policies as being "defensive" when the party needed to be "bold".They also said it was an urgent task for the party to "renew confidence in our economic competence", and described recent policies as being "defensive" when the party needed to be "bold".
They added: "Our most urgent task is to renew confidence in our economic competence so that people know that the country will come out of the current downturn with a resilient economy and a cohesive society".They added: "Our most urgent task is to renew confidence in our economic competence so that people know that the country will come out of the current downturn with a resilient economy and a cohesive society".
Everyday issuesEveryday issues
They said there was a "yawning chasm" that needed to be filled between the Scottish National Party's "failures" on the left of the political spectrum and Conservatives and Liberal Democrats on the right.They said there was a "yawning chasm" that needed to be filled between the Scottish National Party's "failures" on the left of the political spectrum and Conservatives and Liberal Democrats on the right.
"Failure to do so would be a hammer blow, not only to the future of progressive politics, but also to our government," they added.
The article's signatories include former culture minister Janet Anderson, ex-Home Office minister George Howarth, former Transport ministers Stephen Ladyman and Karen Buck and Paddy Tipping, who was deputy leader of the Commons.The article's signatories include former culture minister Janet Anderson, ex-Home Office minister George Howarth, former Transport ministers Stephen Ladyman and Karen Buck and Paddy Tipping, who was deputy leader of the Commons.
Also putting their name to the article are backbenchers Eric Joyce, Sally Keeble, Martin Linton, Shona McIsaac, Margaret Moran and Tom Levitt.Also putting their name to the article are backbenchers Eric Joyce, Sally Keeble, Martin Linton, Shona McIsaac, Margaret Moran and Tom Levitt.
The MPs also called for clearer explanations of what the government had planned for "the things that affect people day to day: inflation and interest rates, household bills and mortgages".The MPs also called for clearer explanations of what the government had planned for "the things that affect people day to day: inflation and interest rates, household bills and mortgages".