Brown 'to lead Labour to next poll'

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In the wake of ministerial resignations and questions about the party leadership, Ms Harman insisted Mr Brown had a plan for steering the country through the economic downturn and for dealing with the scandal over MPs' expenses.

She added that he "certainly will" be the leader of the Labour Party at the next general election.

"I know that there is sense of frenzy, feverishness and speculation, but I can just tell you, because people are worried about what is going to happen to themselves and their families, that the Government is hard at work making sure we protect people in difficult times," she told GMTV.

Asked if Mr Brown would be the leader of the Labour Party at the next general election, Ms Harman said: "Yes, he certainly will.

"There won't be a leadership challenge, nor should there be, because he is the person with the vision to take us through these very, very difficult times and I also think he is very resolute and he knows what his responsibilities are.

"His duty as Prime Minister is not to be swayed by media speculation, but to get on with the job that we are all elected to do and we are going to do that because that is our responsibility."

Her remarks came as Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg threw his weight behind SNP and Plaid Cymru moves to use an opposition day debate next Wednesday to urge the Prime Minister to request the dissolution of Parliament and hold a general election.

He accused the Government of being in its "death throes".

Mr Clegg told GMTV: "You need people in Whitehall and Westminster who can run things and at the moment we have got a Government which is falling apart before our eyes, it looks like the death throes of the New Labour Government. I think we just now need to bring this to a head."