Minister 'poised to quit over PM'

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It is understood the former CBI director general said he will stand down well before the next general election in order to avoid questions about whether he supports the Prime Minister.

Treasury minister Angela Eagle said: "He is an unusual man. He is not in the Labour Party. I think that he is saying that, as a non-affiliated party person, he doesn't want to be around the Government during a general election.

"That could be two years away. I suggest we talk about the economy and stop worrying about this tittle-tattle around the edge."

A spokeswoman for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) said it is "no secret" that Lord Jones does not intend to pursue a long-term political career and that his time in government was "finite".

The report is a further blow to Mr Brown, coming amid growing unease among Labour MPs at the Government's tumbling opinion poll ratings and worries about the worsening economic outlook.

Lord Jones is said to have disclosed his intention to quit at a private meeting in Westminster on January 29 attended by about 10 businessmen and lobbyists.

Appointed alongside the former United Nations deputy secretary general Lord Malloch-Brown and the ex-First Sea Lord, Lord West of Spithead, as part of Mr Brown's "government of all the talents", Lord Jones has always been a controversial figure among Labour MPs.

Despite being a minister, he has refused to take the Labour whip in the House of Lords and he caused embarrassment after he spoke out about Chancellor Alistair Darling's plans to reform capital gains tax and tax wealthy "non-domiciled" foreigners living in Britain.

https://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/(UK Trade and Investment)