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| I won't walk away, insists Brown | I won't walk away, insists Brown |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown has unveiled a reshuffled cabinet and vowed to "fight on" with his "resilient" team to rescue the economy and clean up politics. | Gordon Brown has unveiled a reshuffled cabinet and vowed to "fight on" with his "resilient" team to rescue the economy and clean up politics. |
| He admitted Labour had suffered "a painful defeat" in Thursday's polls but added: "I will not waver. I will not walk away. I will get on with the job." | He admitted Labour had suffered "a painful defeat" in Thursday's polls but added: "I will not waver. I will not walk away. I will get on with the job." |
| And he unveiled Glenys Kinnock as Europe minister in a surprise move. | And he unveiled Glenys Kinnock as Europe minister in a surprise move. |
| Two more cabinet ministers - Geoff Hoon and John Hutton - have stepped down but neither backed a challenge to the PM. | Two more cabinet ministers - Geoff Hoon and John Hutton - have stepped down but neither backed a challenge to the PM. |
| CABINET RESHUFFLE NEW JOBS:Alan Johnson - Home secretaryAndy Burnham - HealthYvette Cooper - Work and pensionsBob Ainsworth - DefenceJohn Denham - CommunitiesLiam Byrne - Chief Secretary to the Treasury Ben Bradshaw - Culture Lord Adonis - TransportSir Alan Sugar - Enterprise tsar (non-Cabinet post)QUITTING:John HuttonJames PurnellJacqui SmithHazel BlearsGeoff HoonCaroline Flint LIVE: Brown fights for his future Tories and Lib Dems in poll wins In full: Brown's new cabinet | CABINET RESHUFFLE NEW JOBS:Alan Johnson - Home secretaryAndy Burnham - HealthYvette Cooper - Work and pensionsBob Ainsworth - DefenceJohn Denham - CommunitiesLiam Byrne - Chief Secretary to the Treasury Ben Bradshaw - Culture Lord Adonis - TransportSir Alan Sugar - Enterprise tsar (non-Cabinet post)QUITTING:John HuttonJames PurnellJacqui SmithHazel BlearsGeoff HoonCaroline Flint LIVE: Brown fights for his future Tories and Lib Dems in poll wins In full: Brown's new cabinet |
| Speaking at a Downing Street media conference, Mr Brown said the current political crisis, fuelled by the Westminster expenses scandal "is a test of everyone's nerve - mine, the government's, the country's". | Speaking at a Downing Street media conference, Mr Brown said the current political crisis, fuelled by the Westminster expenses scandal "is a test of everyone's nerve - mine, the government's, the country's". |
| He added: "If I didn't think I was the right person to lead these challenges I would not be standing here. | He added: "If I didn't think I was the right person to lead these challenges I would not be standing here. |
| "I have faith in doing my duty... I believe in never walking away in difficult times." | "I have faith in doing my duty... I believe in never walking away in difficult times." |
| Mr Brown defended Chancellor Alistair Darling as a "very good personal friend" and said the idea that the pair were split over the economy was "ridiculous". | Mr Brown defended Chancellor Alistair Darling as a "very good personal friend" and said the idea that the pair were split over the economy was "ridiculous". |
| Three new ministerial councils - the Democratic Renewal Council, the Domestic Policy Council and an enhanced National Economic Council - would report weekly to the cabinet, said Mr Brown. | Three new ministerial councils - the Democratic Renewal Council, the Domestic Policy Council and an enhanced National Economic Council - would report weekly to the cabinet, said Mr Brown. |
| Mandelson's role | Mandelson's role |
| But speculation about his future continued as Labour MP Ian Gibson said he was standing down to force a by-election in Norwich North - and said he thinks Mr Brown's days "are close to being numbered". | But speculation about his future continued as Labour MP Ian Gibson said he was standing down to force a by-election in Norwich North - and said he thinks Mr Brown's days "are close to being numbered". |
| BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said if ministers had followed James Purnell in calling for Mr Brown to quit "we would today have had a new prime minister". | BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said if ministers had followed James Purnell in calling for Mr Brown to quit "we would today have had a new prime minister". |
| Several of the women attending Cabinet - myself included - have been treated by you as little more than female window dressing Caroline Flint, former Europe minister Flint's 'window dressing' attack | Several of the women attending Cabinet - myself included - have been treated by you as little more than female window dressing Caroline Flint, former Europe minister Flint's 'window dressing' attack |
| But the PM had still been forced to carry out an "emergency reshuffle based on his own personal survival", which had left him "not that much stronger". | But the PM had still been forced to carry out an "emergency reshuffle based on his own personal survival", which had left him "not that much stronger". |
| In other moves, Alan Johnson becomes home secretary and Andy Burnham succeeds him at health. | In other moves, Alan Johnson becomes home secretary and Andy Burnham succeeds him at health. |
| Caroline Flint has quit as Europe minister, with Glenys Kinnock, wife of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, who recently stood down as an MEP as her successor - she will be appointed to the House of Lords to be able to take the job. | Caroline Flint has quit as Europe minister, with Glenys Kinnock, wife of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, who recently stood down as an MEP as her successor - she will be appointed to the House of Lords to be able to take the job. |
| Ms Flint is understood to have quit after Mr Brown failed to promote her to a full cabinet job. | Ms Flint is understood to have quit after Mr Brown failed to promote her to a full cabinet job. |
| In her resignation letter she launches a stinging attack on Mr Brown for allegedly treating women ministers "like female window dressing" and running a "two tier cabinet". | In her resignation letter she launches a stinging attack on Mr Brown for allegedly treating women ministers "like female window dressing" and running a "two tier cabinet". |
| She said Mr Brown had "strained every sinew" of her loyalty to the government. | She said Mr Brown had "strained every sinew" of her loyalty to the government. |
| There has been speculation all week that Ms Flint was about to quit, yet she had taken to the airwaves to defend Mr Brown and declare her loyalty to him. | There has been speculation all week that Ms Flint was about to quit, yet she had taken to the airwaves to defend Mr Brown and declare her loyalty to him. |
| Labour's deputy leader, and minister for women and equality, Harriet Harman: "I can understand the frustration of any woman in politics, but I don't accept that Gordon doesn't take women in politics seriously - not at all." | Labour's deputy leader, and minister for women and equality, Harriet Harman: "I can understand the frustration of any woman in politics, but I don't accept that Gordon doesn't take women in politics seriously - not at all." |
| Cameron hails Tory election gains | Cameron hails Tory election gains |
| Lord Mandelson's role has been expanded, giving him responsibility for higher education and training, in what Nick Robinson said amounted to a deputy prime minister's role. | Lord Mandelson's role has been expanded, giving him responsibility for higher education and training, in what Nick Robinson said amounted to a deputy prime minister's role. |
| Mr Hoon has agreed to be the prime minister's European policy adviser ahead of the climate change talks in Copenhagen at the end of the year. | Mr Hoon has agreed to be the prime minister's European policy adviser ahead of the climate change talks in Copenhagen at the end of the year. |
| Bob Ainsworth becomes defence secretary and Peter Hain returns to the cabinet in his old job of Welsh Secretary. Ben Bradshaw joins the cabinet for the first time as culture secretary and Lord Adonis takes over at transport. | Bob Ainsworth becomes defence secretary and Peter Hain returns to the cabinet in his old job of Welsh Secretary. Ben Bradshaw joins the cabinet for the first time as culture secretary and Lord Adonis takes over at transport. |
| Universities Secretary John Denham succeeds Hazel Blears as communities secretary and Yvette Cooper replaces Mr Purnell as work and pensions secretary, with Liam Byrne replacing her as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. | Universities Secretary John Denham succeeds Hazel Blears as communities secretary and Yvette Cooper replaces Mr Purnell as work and pensions secretary, with Liam Byrne replacing her as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. |
| Margaret Beckett and Paul Murphy are amongst those leaving the cabinet. | Margaret Beckett and Paul Murphy are amongst those leaving the cabinet. |
| Election losses | Election losses |
| John Hutton earlier quit as defence secretary and James Purnell quit on Thursday as work and pensions secretary - but no ministers have so far backed Mr Purnell's call for Mr Brown to "stand aside". | John Hutton earlier quit as defence secretary and James Purnell quit on Thursday as work and pensions secretary - but no ministers have so far backed Mr Purnell's call for Mr Brown to "stand aside". |
| Many Labour backbenchers who were ready to call for a change of leader will now be asking themselves: 'If they're not willing to act to end this, why should I?' Nick Robinson's blog | Many Labour backbenchers who were ready to call for a change of leader will now be asking themselves: 'If they're not willing to act to end this, why should I?' Nick Robinson's blog |
| Mr Hutton backed the prime minister and said he thought fellow Blairite Mr Purnell had made "the wrong decision" in calling for him to quit. | Mr Hutton backed the prime minister and said he thought fellow Blairite Mr Purnell had made "the wrong decision" in calling for him to quit. |
| Alan Johnson, touted by some backbenchers as a possible leadership challenger, said he backed Mr Brown "to the hilt" to continue as prime minister. | Alan Johnson, touted by some backbenchers as a possible leadership challenger, said he backed Mr Brown "to the hilt" to continue as prime minister. |
| He said he would "never say never" to becoming Labour leader at some point but insisted he could see no circumstances at present where he would mount a bid for the job. | |
| He added that he was "really pleased" to be going to the Home Office, describing the job - regarded as something of a poisoned chalice - as an "invigorating challenge". | |
| HAVE YOUR SAYThe ineptness of New Labour over the past 11 years has finally caught up with themJonathan, Slough Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAYThe ineptness of New Labour over the past 11 years has finally caught up with themJonathan, Slough Send us your comments |
| But although no cabinet ministers have backed Mr Purnell, several backbench Labour MPs have continued to call for him to stand down and Dr Gibson - stripped of the right to stand for Labour at the next election because of his expenses - said he would stand down now to trigger what is likely to be a potentially difficult by-election for Labour. | |
| And the majority of results now in, the scale of Labour's defeat at the English local elections is also becoming clear - it will have to wait until Sunday to discover how it fared in the European poll held at the same time. | And the majority of results now in, the scale of Labour's defeat at the English local elections is also becoming clear - it will have to wait until Sunday to discover how it fared in the European poll held at the same time. |
| But according to the BBC's projected share of the national vote at a general election, based on the English local election results in so far, the Conservatives would poll 38%, the Lib Dems 28% and Labour would be third on 23%. | But according to the BBC's projected share of the national vote at a general election, based on the English local election results in so far, the Conservatives would poll 38%, the Lib Dems 28% and Labour would be third on 23%. |
| Labour is finished, claims Clegg | Labour is finished, claims Clegg |
| Conservative leader David Cameron said it showed his party was on course to win the next general election. | Conservative leader David Cameron said it showed his party was on course to win the next general election. |
| "We have clearly won this election and turned in some remarkably good results," he told BBC News. | "We have clearly won this election and turned in some remarkably good results," he told BBC News. |
| Mr Cameron and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg have both repeated their calls for a general election. | Mr Cameron and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg have both repeated their calls for a general election. |
| Mr Cameron told BBC News the government had "lost the right to govern," adding: "We have a government in complete chaos. We really do deserve better than this." | Mr Cameron told BBC News the government had "lost the right to govern," adding: "We have a government in complete chaos. We really do deserve better than this." |
| Mr Clegg said Mr Brown's future as PM was "irrelevant" because the Labour government was "finished" and had "run out of road". | Mr Clegg said Mr Brown's future as PM was "irrelevant" because the Labour government was "finished" and had "run out of road". |