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Minister quits in protest over Brown's leadership
Joe Murphy and Paul Waugh16.09.08
Gordon Brown suffered the most serious blow to his leadership today when a senior minister quit the Government.
Scottish Office Minister David Cairns walked out after refusing to make an oath of loyalty to the Prime Minister.
His is the most senior resignation since the latest bout of plotting against the Prime Minister erupted with the sacking of Siobhain McDonagh, a close friend of Mr Cairns.
It comes a day after the Standard reported that three ministers were considering their positions and quoted one minister as saying that concern about Mr Brown's leadership was widespread in the Government.
Mr Cairns, 43, was suspected by No 10 of criticising Mr Brown in private and Defence Secretary Des Browne was despatched to interrogate him about his views.
The former Catholic priest was described as emotional and torn by one source, who said his resignation was inevitable when he refused to deny that he believed Mr Brown was leading the party to electoral disaster.
A Downing Street statement said simply: "The Prime Minister has accepted David Cairns's resignation. The exercise of government demands collective responsibility."
The blow overshadowed another fight-back by Mr Brown's supporters. After a special political session of Cabinet, a string of heavyweight ministers and Labour grandees rallied behind the Premier. Deputy leader Harriet Harman said Britain needed a leader "with immense economic experience".
Earlier the National Executive Committee, Labour's ruling body, backed the Prime Minister by throwing out a rebel bid to start a process of seeking nominations for a leadership election.
Rebel ringleader Janet Anderson did not turn up and sent apologies by text message, though arguments were continuing over what the rules mean.
But these boosts were blighted by the drama in Scotland where Mr Cairns was effectively pushed into resigning. It started when his name was "outed" and friends suspected that No 10 was moving against him, to prevent him resigning at a more damaging time later.
The Inverclyde MP is the fourth departure after Ms McDonagh, Labour vice-chairman Joan Ryan and Barry Gardiner who quit an envoy role.
Two other ministers, whose names are known to the Standard, are said to be considering their position.
In other developments, a ministerial aide said privately that he may resign, saying Mr Brown was in his "death throes" and that more rebels were waiting "until the time is right".
It was also rumoured that a Cabinet minister is planning to quit if the party loses the Glenrothes byelection, expected to be on 6 November.
Earlier, Mr Brown told the political cabinet he was certain Labour can win the next election if it shows it has the best vision for Britain's future after the economic downturn is over.
Reader views (17)
NuLabour's entire tenure has been built upon a bed of lies, deceit and the betrayal of the British people; it has only survived as long as it has because its main front man, Bliar, was such an accomplished liar.
Gordon Clown has no such ability, which is why the wheels have so quickly come off the wagon under his incompetent stewardship.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
"Deputy leader Harriet Harman said Britain needed a leader "with immense economic experience"."
Doubless she's referring to the skill required to milk the taxpayer dry.
- Rogan, DFW TX
Talk about rats and sinking ships... They should just throw in the towel and call a general election, while there's still a country left to fight over.
- Justin, London, UK
Brown is totally non-electable as Prime Minister. It's obvious to the British public. All the polls are stating the obvious. Why is it so very difficult for Labour MPs and peers and other Labour minions to understand this fact? It's denial of the totally obvious -- and the longer it goes on and the longer the procrastination the deeper sinks the Labour Party. It's already in a very deep hole; soon it will be a shaft well on its way to China and non-electable for a generation. Conservatives are all for Brown staying on. And why not, given that their chances rise with every minute he stays.
- Phil Jones, London UK
So the UK community has forgotten last year's fiasco, to be an election or not to be an election. Such dithering IS NOT FORGOTTEN.
- Tony Islander, UK
Val, obviously you've obviously had a bit too much sun in your costa. Blair did foreign policy and Brown did domestic. You think the best person to see us through this is the man who sold the country's gold reserves at rock bottom price, single-handedly wrecked final salary pensions, put thousands of the less well off in debt way beyond their means (to HMRC) with his tax credits and hounded them to repay it, removed the 10% tax band, increased National Insurance, foisted goodness knows how many stealth taxes on the population (including rocketing council tax so that pensioners were cast into poverty), created around 750,000 extra public sector 'jobs', put punitive VED on people's cars, squandered a golden economy he inherited from Kenneth Clarke, taxed and taxed and taxed people so that they could barely manage to get by. Billions and billions of extra tax and what is there to show for it? How many people can hand on heart say they're better off now than they were in 1997? Gordon Brown is a psychologically flawed man (in the judgement of his own colleagues) who naively believes central government can manage your life. As Ronald Reagan memorably said 'government is not the solution, it's the problem.'
I know you're abroad but you will be very hard pressed to find a single good word for Gordon Brown. What you will find in spades is contempt and loathing.
- John, UK
Replacing Gordon Brown will make no difference. It is the policies that are wrong and these same labour MPs voted for that seems to have slipped their minds.
- John Mckim, glasgow.uk
Said this before, but I'll say it again: why did nobody oppose his leadership bid when they had the chance then? I can't believe no-one else wanted the job. This is an ill of their own doing.
- Kitty, London
Val Daniels,so why are you in Mijas Costa, Spain if you like the deadbeat Brown so much? Put your money where your mouth is.
- Judith C, London, UK
Val Daniels - What's the weather like there in Spain? Perhaps you'd like to comment on Spanish politics.
I suppose Gordon Brown is so good you decided to leave the country
- Big Andy, London
Well Val Daniels if life is that good here under Brown why are you in Spain?
- Dereck, London, England
"Rumours swept Westminster today that a Cabinet minister is planning to resign if Gordon Brown loses the Glenrothes by-election."
Good riddance!
There will be many others willing to take that job.
- Alfred, London, UK
Even Zimbabwe has power sharing -the UK is now the worst kind of dictatorship. We will be told who runs us so shut up and pay up.
- Anna Moreno, luxembourg
I cannot believe that people are so stupid as to encourage this blather about whether or not Gordon Brown remains in office. You should be asking the question about who is best placed to see us through this crisis, a man with 11 years experience who, like it or not, has done much to improve the living standards of the people in the UK; or, an untried and untested group who have never had to face the problems of the ordinary person and have no experience of managing the economy. I know whom I would choose. Leave the matter of who leads the country to the next general election, instead of talking the country and the economy down, and adding to this unnecessary hysteria. Steady as she goes should be the mantra now. By the time November comes, people will have forgotten all about Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, inflation will be falling and the banks will be better regulated. We are not all doomed if everybody learns from this. Borrow less, spend less and dont blame everything on the government. Just because you don't like somebody, doesn't mean you have to throw the baby out with the bath water.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa. Spain
There has to be an election if Brown goes. We are not some South American dictatorship where the ruling class can foist one un-elected leader after another on us.
- Mark, London
Well if Alistair Darling and Jacqui Smith think Gordon's the man to run this country then he clearly must be, I mean they are both doing such fantastic jobs themselves - That's really put my mind at rest.
- Sarah, London England
Whoop-de-blinking-doo! Have the courage to walk now!
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
