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Browne may need to quit - Cameron | Browne may need to quit - Cameron |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Tory leader David Cameron has said Defence Secretary Des Browne may have to resign unless he can show the armed forces have confidence in him. | |
Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr, he said Mr Browne had to give a "full account" of why sailors held by Iran were able to sell their stories. | |
The defence secretary is due to make a full report to the Commons on Monday. | |
In his interview, Mr Cameron admitted he winced at being described as the "heir" to Prime Minister Tony Blair. | |
'Confidence' | |
The Royal Navy crew were on patrol boats in the Gulf on 23 March when they were detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. | The Royal Navy crew were on patrol boats in the Gulf on 23 March when they were detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. |
The Iranians accused the crew of straying into its waters, but the British say they were in Iraqi territory. | The Iranians accused the crew of straying into its waters, but the British say they were in Iraqi territory. |
They were freed earlier this month and flown back to the UK. | They were freed earlier this month and flown back to the UK. |
Mr Cameron said Mr Browne had to "give a full account to Parliament and explain the actions his department and Number 10 took". | |
Mr Cameron added: "The second test is, does he retain the confidence of the armed services? If he can pass those two tests then he keeps his job. If he fails, then I think he has to go." | |
Earlier, Mr Browne said he took full responsibility for allowing the crew's stories to be sold. | |
'Split' | |
In the BBC interview, Mr Cameron spoke of his "admiration" for Mr Blair and said he had done an "important job" by moving the Labour Party to the political centre ground. | |
He said: "I think it's very important that we don't have a left-right split where one party wants to re-nationalise everything in sight, taxes at 80%, that's quite in hock to the trades unions. | |
"I think those changes to make the Labour Party more friendly to the enterprise economy - it's still not friendly enough - those are important." | |
Asked whether he felt a glow of pride or a wince at being called the "heir to Blair", Mr Cameron said he winced at the suggestion and that there were fundamental differences in their approach to politics. | |
He said: "I admire the fact he was won three elections in a row - you can't, as a politician, not admire that. | |
"But to me our whole approach to politics is different. | |
"In the end, politics to me is either trusting big government - that's Blair - or actually trusting people, sharing responsibility with them and trying to create a more responsible society - that's me. | |
"It's an enormous difference." | |
Mr Cameron said he was confident the Conservatives could win the next general election, but admitted it was not "in the bag". | |
He said the party was "half-way up the mountain" but there was still "a long way to go". |