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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| PM told to go as minister quits | PM told to go as minister quits |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| James Purnell has stepped down from the cabinet and told Prime Minister Gordon Brown to "stand aside" as leader. | |
| In a letter to several newspapers, the work and pensions secretary said Mr Brown's continued leadership made a Tory victory "more, not less likely". | |
| He is the third cabinet member in three days to say they are standing down. | |
| Downing Street said Mr Brown was "disappointed" but would be getting on with the job but David Cameron said the government was "falling apart". | |
| Mr Brown was set to reshuffle his team within days as he fights to hang on to his tenure as prime minister. | Mr Brown was set to reshuffle his team within days as he fights to hang on to his tenure as prime minister. |
| 'Fighting chance' | 'Fighting chance' |
| But in his letter to Mr Brown, published in Friday's newspapers, Mr Purnell said he owed it to the Labour Party to "say what I believe no matter how hard that may be". | But in his letter to Mr Brown, published in Friday's newspapers, Mr Purnell said he owed it to the Labour Party to "say what I believe no matter how hard that may be". |
| He wrote: "I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less likely. That would be disastrous for our country." | He wrote: "I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less likely. That would be disastrous for our country." |
| I'm surprised, James is a good friend of mine but I fundamentally disagree with him Jim KnightSchools minister class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8084312.stm">Profile: James Purnell class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8084290.stm">Purnell resignation letter class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/8083284.stm">Allies of Brown go on offensive | |
| He added: "I am therefore calling on you to stand aside to give our party a fighting chance of winning. As such I am resigning from government." | He added: "I am therefore calling on you to stand aside to give our party a fighting chance of winning. As such I am resigning from government." |
| The BBC understands Mr Purnell only came to his decision to resign on Thursday but is said to have been frustrated for some time. | |
| BBC political editor Nick Robinson said it was the first direct challenge to Mr Brown from a cabinet minister. | BBC political editor Nick Robinson said it was the first direct challenge to Mr Brown from a cabinet minister. |
| 'Real anger' | 'Real anger' |
| Mr Purnell's resignation was a message to the rest of the Labour Party to make up their minds about Mr Brown's leadership, he said. | Mr Purnell's resignation was a message to the rest of the Labour Party to make up their minds about Mr Brown's leadership, he said. |
| A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister is disappointed by the resignation of James Purnell, of which he was informed shortly before 10pm." | |
| He said Mr Brown's focus over coming days would be "restructuring the government on the big challenges facing the country for the future", tackling the global economic downturn, trust in Parliament and reforming public services. | |
| HAVE YOUR SAY If Brown decides to go, or the party elect another leader there must be a general election. The Labour Party has nobody of sufficient calibre to take over as PM David Lloyd, Harrow Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY If Brown decides to go, or the party elect another leader there must be a general election. The Labour Party has nobody of sufficient calibre to take over as PM David Lloyd, Harrow Send us your comments |
| "He will continue to give his undivided attention to addressing these great challenges facing our country and putting the interests of the British people first and foremost," he said. | |
| But Conservative leader Mr Cameron said: "In a deep recession and a political crisis we need a strong united government. Instead we have a government falling apart in front of our eyes." | |
| He said Mr Purnell's resignation had meant the argument for calling an immediate general election had gone from "being strong and powerful to completely unanswerable". | He said Mr Purnell's resignation had meant the argument for calling an immediate general election had gone from "being strong and powerful to completely unanswerable". |
| Secret ballot | |
| Several ministers have been defending Mr Brown including Jim Knight, Liam Byrne and John Denham. | Several ministers have been defending Mr Brown including Jim Knight, Liam Byrne and John Denham. |
| Schools minister Mr Knight told the BBC: "I'm surprised, James is a good friend of mine but I fundamentally disagree with him." | Schools minister Mr Knight told the BBC: "I'm surprised, James is a good friend of mine but I fundamentally disagree with him." |
| He added: "Gordon is the right person to lead this country through very difficult economic times." | He added: "Gordon is the right person to lead this country through very difficult economic times." |
| We haven't got a media star, we have got a person who works damned hard and is taking us through the economic crisis Baroness RoyallLabour's leader in the Lords | |
| The news comes as the polls closed across the UK for the European elections, the last big test of opinion ahead of a general election. | The news comes as the polls closed across the UK for the European elections, the last big test of opinion ahead of a general election. |
| In England people have also been voting in 27 county and seven unitary council elections - and for three mayors. | In England people have also been voting in 27 county and seven unitary council elections - and for three mayors. |
| Speaking as the polls closed, senior Labour backbencher Barry Sheerman told the BBC there should be a ballot of Labour MPs to see if Gordon Brown still has the confidence of the party. | Speaking as the polls closed, senior Labour backbencher Barry Sheerman told the BBC there should be a ballot of Labour MPs to see if Gordon Brown still has the confidence of the party. |
| He told the BBC: "Many of my colleagues, all over the Palace of Westminster, are e-mailing each other and phoning each other. | He told the BBC: "Many of my colleagues, all over the Palace of Westminster, are e-mailing each other and phoning each other. |
| "This goes far beyond just a few people, this is a large number of us who are really unhappy about the present situation. | "This goes far beyond just a few people, this is a large number of us who are really unhappy about the present situation. |
| "We would love to have a secret ballot so that we can express our views in the confidence that there would be no recriminations whatever way the vote went." | "We would love to have a secret ballot so that we can express our views in the confidence that there would be no recriminations whatever way the vote went." |
| But asked about the idea of a ballot on BBC One's Question Time, Labour's leader in the Lords Baroness Royall, said: "If that's Barry Sheerman's view I don't happen to agree with it. I believe at this moment in transparency and freedom of information." | But asked about the idea of a ballot on BBC One's Question Time, Labour's leader in the Lords Baroness Royall, said: "If that's Barry Sheerman's view I don't happen to agree with it. I believe at this moment in transparency and freedom of information." |
| She defended Mr Brown's style of leadership and said he could relate to people: "We haven't got a media star, we have got a person who works damned hard and is taking us through the economic crisis." | She defended Mr Brown's style of leadership and said he could relate to people: "We haven't got a media star, we have got a person who works damned hard and is taking us through the economic crisis." |
| There have been predictions Labour could be pushed into third or fourth place in the Euro elections behind the UK Independence Party (UKIP), following damaging revelations about expenses claims in the Daily Telegraph. | There have been predictions Labour could be pushed into third or fourth place in the Euro elections behind the UK Independence Party (UKIP), following damaging revelations about expenses claims in the Daily Telegraph. |
| Council results are expected overnight from Lincolnshire, Bristol and Central Bedfordshire - and the result of the mayoral contest in Hartlepool. | Council results are expected overnight from Lincolnshire, Bristol and Central Bedfordshire - and the result of the mayoral contest in Hartlepool. |
| Mr Brown's much anticipated reshuffle was pre-empted earlier this week with the news that Jacqui Smith had asked to step down as home secretary. | Mr Brown's much anticipated reshuffle was pre-empted earlier this week with the news that Jacqui Smith had asked to step down as home secretary. |
| Fevered atmosphere | Fevered atmosphere |
| She later said she believed Gordon Brown was the right person to lead the Labour Party but was stepping down for her family - who had been "at the forefront" of expenses allegations against her. | She later said she believed Gordon Brown was the right person to lead the Labour Party but was stepping down for her family - who had been "at the forefront" of expenses allegations against her. |
| Then Hazel Blears announced on Wednesday that she would be stepping down as communities secretary. | Then Hazel Blears announced on Wednesday that she would be stepping down as communities secretary. |
| In her resignation statement she did not pay the customary tribute to the prime minister, who weeks ago had described her own actions on expenses as "totally unacceptable". | In her resignation statement she did not pay the customary tribute to the prime minister, who weeks ago had described her own actions on expenses as "totally unacceptable". |
| Alistair Darling's position as chancellor is also thought to be vulnerable after questions about his expenses. | Alistair Darling's position as chancellor is also thought to be vulnerable after questions about his expenses. |
| Amid a fevered atmosphere at a Westminster - where the expenses saga has dominated the agenda during the election - two junior ministers Beverley Hughes and Tom Watson have also said they are to step down. | Amid a fevered atmosphere at a Westminster - where the expenses saga has dominated the agenda during the election - two junior ministers Beverley Hughes and Tom Watson have also said they are to step down. |
| Some Labour backbench MPs say they are circulating a letter among MPs seeking support for a call on Mr Brown to go. | |
| About 70 Labour MPs would be required to nominate a specific alternative candidate to trigger a leadership contest. | About 70 Labour MPs would be required to nominate a specific alternative candidate to trigger a leadership contest. |