Leadership challenge gains pace

Joan Ryan was sacked as a party vice-chairman and as the Prime Minister's envoy to Cyprus after she urged a "multiplicity" of senior figures to stand against him.

The former minister insisted that Labour's "direction and leadership" was being debated at "all levels" of the party and it was time for such talk to be aired in the open.

She is among a number of usually-loyal MPs who are calling on the party to issue leadership nomination forms ahead of Labour's annual conference, which starts in Manchester next weekend.

Siobhain McDonagh, who said she had never crossed the leadership in 11 years as an MP, was promptly replaced as an assistant whip when her involvement in the apparent plot became known.

She claimed a "huge number" of her fellow Labour MPs shared her desire for a contest. Other MPs insist the rebels are in a small minority.

But Ms Ryan stepped up the pressure on Mr Brown by saying that a leadership contest was essential to meeting the needs of the country. "I think we need to have a leadership election to trigger a deep and far-reaching debate and those people in our party who have something to offer and are capable of leadership need to put themselves forward," she said.

"We need a multiplicity of candidates. That's a healthy thing to do and that's part of the democracy of our party. It's happening anyway, as I say, but it's happening behind closed doors."

Labour officials say fewer than 10 MPs have requested nomination papers to be sent out, although reports suggest the figure may be slightly higher. More names are expected to emerge over the coming days as part of what appears to be a co-ordinated move to destabilise Mr Brown.

Tony Lloyd, chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, said he was not aware of any widespread support for the position of Ms Ryan and Ms McDonagh. "What it does represent is a handful of people who are not joined by the overwhelming majority of Labour MPs," he said.