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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Minister 'set to quit' over Brown | Minister 'set to quit' over Brown |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A senior minister is ready to quit over concerns about Gordon Brown's leadership, the BBC has learned. | A senior minister is ready to quit over concerns about Gordon Brown's leadership, the BBC has learned. |
| The unnamed minister of state said he believed the prime minister had failed to show the vision needed to lead the Labour Party. | The unnamed minister of state said he believed the prime minister had failed to show the vision needed to lead the Labour Party. |
| He said he did not believe Mr Brown was the man to "lead us to victory" and he could not continue to lie about it. | He said he did not believe Mr Brown was the man to "lead us to victory" and he could not continue to lie about it. |
| It comes as former cabinet minister Margaret Beckett warned Labour rebels to get behind Mr Brown. | It comes as former cabinet minister Margaret Beckett warned Labour rebels to get behind Mr Brown. |
| The former deputy leader said voters would neither "understand nor forgive" the party if they focused on internal rows. | The former deputy leader said voters would neither "understand nor forgive" the party if they focused on internal rows. |
| But speculation continues over Mr Brown's future with an unnamed minister now threatening to resign. | |
| He told the BBC: "There just comes a point where you say, 'I can't go on lying', you can't go on saying 'I think Gordon Brown is the man to lead us to victory' when you don't believe it." | He told the BBC: "There just comes a point where you say, 'I can't go on lying', you can't go on saying 'I think Gordon Brown is the man to lead us to victory' when you don't believe it." |
| What the prime minister is doing is concentrating on the issues that matter to the country - the situation in the economy, what is happening in the financial markets, Northern Ireland and crime Prime Minister's spokesman Q&A: The situation explained | What the prime minister is doing is concentrating on the issues that matter to the country - the situation in the economy, what is happening in the financial markets, Northern Ireland and crime Prime Minister's spokesman Q&A: The situation explained |
| He said he had not come to a firm decision on whether to resign yet but he believed it was impossible for the government to continue without the question over its leadership being resolved. | He said he had not come to a firm decision on whether to resign yet but he believed it was impossible for the government to continue without the question over its leadership being resolved. |
| So far more than a dozen MPs have called for a leadership contest, including former Labour minister Fiona Mactaggart and party vice-chair Joan Ryan. | So far more than a dozen MPs have called for a leadership contest, including former Labour minister Fiona Mactaggart and party vice-chair Joan Ryan. |
| Barry Gardiner was the third MP to leave his government post, days after Ms Ryan and junior whip Siobhain McDonagh were sacked for calling for a leadership challenge. | Barry Gardiner was the third MP to leave his government post, days after Ms Ryan and junior whip Siobhain McDonagh were sacked for calling for a leadership challenge. |
| The Labour rebels are calling for leadership nomination papers to be sent out to all of the party's MPs, to see if there is enough support for an election. | The Labour rebels are calling for leadership nomination papers to be sent out to all of the party's MPs, to see if there is enough support for an election. |
| They need 70 Labour MPs to nominate a challenger if they are to bring about a leadership election. Last year Mr Brown was nominated by all but seven Labour MPs to take over as party leader. | They need 70 Labour MPs to nominate a challenger if they are to bring about a leadership election. Last year Mr Brown was nominated by all but seven Labour MPs to take over as party leader. |
| 'Local difficulty' | 'Local difficulty' |
| Mrs Beckett and other senior Labour figures, past and present, have been rallying to Mr Brown's defence. | Mrs Beckett and other senior Labour figures, past and present, have been rallying to Mr Brown's defence. |
| International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander told the BBC he believed there was support for Mr Brown "across the party" and it was "unconvincing" to suggest there was significant support for another candidate. | International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander told the BBC he believed there was support for Mr Brown "across the party" and it was "unconvincing" to suggest there was significant support for another candidate. |
| And former transport minister John Spellar urged Mr Brown to take his cue from the former PM Harold Macmillan and dismiss the rebels as "a little local difficulty". | And former transport minister John Spellar urged Mr Brown to take his cue from the former PM Harold Macmillan and dismiss the rebels as "a little local difficulty". |
| The prime minister's spokesman insisted the PM was focused on the big issues of the economy and public services. | The prime minister's spokesman insisted the PM was focused on the big issues of the economy and public services. |
| He said: "What the prime minister is doing is concentrating on the issues that matter to the country - the situation in the economy, what is happening in the financial markets, Northern Ireland and crime." | He said: "What the prime minister is doing is concentrating on the issues that matter to the country - the situation in the economy, what is happening in the financial markets, Northern Ireland and crime." |