UK Minister Quits, Asks Brown To Resign
Another minister in Gordon Brown's cabinet resigned -- and also called for the U.K. prime minister himself to quit -- as the Labour Party braced for a poor showing in local and European elections.
U.K. voters cast ballots Thursday for both local offices and spots in the European Parliament, with a focus on the question of how well -- or how poorly -- the ruling Labour Party, headed by Mr. Brown, will fare. It's the last U.K.-wide electoral test ahead of a general election which must be called before next June, and Mr. Brown's party has been forecast in some recent polls to finish third or even fourth in both elections. That would add to pressure for the prime minister to step aside amid frustrations with the U.K.'s recession and a series of scandals.
As polls closed at 10 p.m. in London on Thursday, Mr. Brown received another rude shock, this one from a member of his own cabinet. U.K. Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell resigned from the post and called on Mr. Brown to step aside for the good of the Labour Party.
Mr. Purnell became the third member of Mr. Brown's cabinet to quit in as many days -- but the first to openly call for the prime minister to quit. While not the biggest name in the cabinet, Mr. Purnell has been seen as a rising star.
'I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less, likely,' wrote Mr. Purnell in a letter to Mr. Brown. The opposition Conservative Party has surged ahead of Labour in opinion polls in recent months. Mr. Purnell added: 'Calling on you to stand aside to give our party a fighting chance of winning' in the next general election.
'The Prime Minister is disappointed by the resignation of James Purnell,' a spokesman for Mr. Brown said. 'His focus over the coming days will be on restructuring the government on the big challenges facing the country for the future.'
The anger aimed at Mr. Brown has gained such momentum that he now faces questions about his ability to even survive until the next election, much less win it. In a bout of turmoil within Labour, five government ministers, three at the Cabinet level, have resigned from their posts this week.
Election results weren't available late Thursday. Polls in advance of the vote put Labour as an underdog. A survey Thursday by pollsters YouGov showed that Labour could finish third in European elections after the Conservatives and the UK Independence Party -- an embarrassing outcome that would ratchet up pressure on Mr. Brown.
Poor results for Labour in these elections will likely intensify calls for Mr. Brown to step aside. The prime minister is attempting to regain his footing by reorganizing his cabinet -- a process that was undercut by the recent resignations.
As Labour takes a hit, observers were watching to see whether fringe parties would gain strength. A poll by ComRes for the Independent newspaper suggested that a third of British voters could vote for nonmainstream parties, up sharply since before the expenses row erupted. |
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