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Brown challenged as political storm erupts
GORDON Brown is facing a direct challenge to his leadership today after a senior Labour backbencher called for a secret ballot to decide his future and James Purnell became the first Cabinet minister to call for him to quit.
The revolt hit the Prime Minister as soon as voting in local and European elections finished last night.
Barry Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield and chair of the Commons children's select committee, led the way by telling the Yorkshire Post he had lost confidence in Mr Brown just before it emerged Mr Purnell was resigning as Work and Pensions secretary.
The cabinet minister, an old ally of Tony Blair and seen as a future leadership candidate, revealed a resignation letter to Mr Brown which said: "We both love the Labour Party.
"I owe it to our Party to say ... I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more not less likely. I am therefore calling on you to stand aside."
He said he was not seeking the leadership himself, and said he was acting alone.
Fellow backbencher, Graham Allen, who has been seeking signatures for a letter urging Mr Brown to stand down, is also preparing to go public.
There are now clear rallying points for the revolt Mr Brown has been half-expecting.
Mr Brown was already reeling from four Ministers announcing this week they would quit even if he did not want to push them - Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Children's Minister Beverley Hughes, Cabinet Office Minister Tom Watson and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.
Mr Sheerman said coming to his decision was a "gut-wrenching experience".
He said: "Up until two months ago I was confident – I thought Gordon Brown was the right person to lead us into the next election. But the events of the last few weeks have made me very disillusioned because of the quality of leadership and the ability to win."
Mr Sheerman, who has spent 30 years on the Labour benches, said he felt the parliamentary party was ignored by Ministers.
He was particularly scathing about the Downing Street operation in the wake of the Damian McBride affair, in which the Prime Minister's trusted aide suggested smearing opponents.
"I'm a serial loyalist," said Mr Sheerman. "I came to the Labour Party for certain principles and I don't like what we'are seeing at the moment.
"I don't like that all the people like Damian McBride and that sort can be used to do things I find unacceptable ... even briefings against our own Ministers. I don't like the fact our parliamentary party has been ignored when we'are talking about issues like the demise of the Speaker or parliamentary allowances."
He also failed to understand how party whips had decided which MPs should be suspended from the parliamentary party over their expenses claims. Mr Sheerman criticised Mr Brown's decision to appear on YouTube with proposals for expenses reform rather than discuss them with backbenchers, saying it was a "deliberate rebuff".
His plan was to call for the confidence motion at Monday's meeting of the parliamentary party, by which time Mr Brown is expected to have carried out a Cabinet reshuffle. The Prime Minister is said to be keen for Ed Balls to replace Alistair Darling as Chancellor while former Cabinet Minister David Blunkett is tipped to be offered another role.
But Mr Purnell's intervention may mean things move even more quickly - especially if the poll results are as disastrous for Labour as the party fears.
Aged 39, Mr Purnell represents the constituency of Stalybridge & Hyde, between Manchester and Oldham, and has been tipped as a future leader of the party. But for now, he can only pave the way for better-known candidates - possibly including Hull MP Alan Johnson.
Six European Parliament seats are up for grabs in Yorkshire, along with all 72 seats on North Yorkshire County Council while in Doncaster voters will elect a new Mayor.
Anger at the MPs expenses scandal is expected to result in voters giving all three of the main parties at bloody nose at the ballot box, opening a window of opportunity for gains by the BNP and other parties.
Breaking stories on the national picture and Yorkshire's election results will be published online here on Friday, with the European results available from Sunday evening>>
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Weather for Yorkshire
Friday 25 May 2012
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