Mandelson urged to tell Brown to go for good of the party

A former Government whip has called on Lord Mandelson to tell Gordon Brown it is time to step down as Prime Minister to save Labour'schances of winning this year's general election.

Blairite backbencher Greg Pope said Labour must change leader if it is to win the election – due by June 3 – and said "almost any of the senior figures in our party" would do better than Mr Brown in cutting the current Conservative lead.

Mr Pope is the latest in a series of Labour figures to issue New Year calls for Mr Brown's removal as leader, following former Cabinet Minister Charles Clarke and Commons Schools Committee chairman and Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His call comes amid speculation that Business Secretary Lord Mandelson may have become disenchanted with Mr Brown's apparent efforts to shore up Labour's core vote with "class war" rhetoric.

It has been reported that Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman, rather than Lord Mandelson, will front the party's election campaign by hosting daily televised media conferences. But Labour dismissed suggestions that the Business Secretary was being sidelined in the campaign.

A source declined to discuss precisely how the general election roles would be shared out, but said: "Harriet, as party chair, is going to be heavily involved in the campaign, as is Peter Mandelson."