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Gordon Brown's election build-up was rocked today when James Purnell became the latest Labour MP to quit the Commons.
The former work and pensions secretary left the Cabinet last June in a failed attempt to oust the Prime Minister on the night of dreadful local election results. “I no longer wish to be an MP,” Mr Purnell said today.
The MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, Greater Manchester, indicated that he would carry on making speeches and writing articles.
Mr Purnell joins an exodus of big beasts from the Blair years, including former party chairman Alan Milburn, ex-transport secretary Stephen Byers, former defence secretaries Geoff Hoon and John Hutton, former education secretary Ruth Kelly, former chief whip Hilary Armstrong and ex-home secretary John Reid.
Mr Brown today painted the election as a big choice between Labour spending for growth and economic risk under David Cameron.
Building up to the election campaign, the Cabinet is being mobilised this weekend and the Prime Minister will make a speech in Coventry to reveal his slogan. Today in London he warned voters that the Conservatives could cause a second recession.
“I say to the British people this is not the time to put the recovery at risk, this is the time to make sure that growth and jobs are secured,” said Mr Brown.
He was buoyed by 60 economists who wrote to the FT supporting his claim that immediate spending cuts would endanger economic recovery.
A rolling Sun/YouGov poll had the Tory lead down from nine to seven points. But Mr Purnell's departure suggested ebbing confidence among backbenchers and leaves Blairite leadership prospect David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, short of experienced allies at Westminster.
Up to 20 more Labour MPs are set to announce their retirements before the general election, soundings by the Government whips suggest.
A total of 136 MPs have already said they are going — compared with 86 in 2005 and 78 in 2001. Of these, 86 are Labour, 36 are Conservatives and seven are Lib-Dems.
Big names jostling for seats include TV historian Tristram Hunt and Harriet Harman's husband Jack Dromey.
Backbenchers have been demoralised by the expenses scandal, cuts in MPs' perks and gloom at the prospect of Opposition.
Meanwhile, Labour has accused Conservatives of trying to disrupt tomorrow's speech by Mr Brown. A leaked email revealed the party is paying travel expenses to students who “form our own publicity stunt”.
Reader views (20)
"The liberals in America are trying the same rhetoric with no success. The average voter knows you can not spend your way to prosperity. The government must stop spending when they are broke just like a family."
James it's been said that it's a pity that all the people who know best how to run a country are instead running taxis and scissors. However the IMF disagree with you and have said stimulus must continue.
- Dan, London, 25/02/2010 13:09
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Well after the next election the amount of MP's required arrives from the EU ready 2B rubberstamped through for completion.
- Bill, Hove Sus~sex, 22/02/2010 05:35
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Purnell is one of the few intelligent MP's. He walked from Brown's cabinet dominated by ex commmunists hiding under soft socialist clothes. The Brown soviet is for the few State elite to indulge in power and control on the backs of millions of State employees who vote them in under fear of losing their pay.
Brown has created an economy with 8 million economically inactive, 2.6 million unemployed and 1 million unemployed students. Add the State payroll of 6 million, up 1 million, since 1997, and add partners.
Labour's disasterous education programme has produced 5 million illiterate and 17 million unable to add!! Now Labour cut £350 million off the Youth training, while boasting 'Labour investing more in youth training'!
Now over 20 million depend on the State, and are uneconomic. Labour is not working. Brown wants Labour votes for the few, and does it by enlarging the State.
The UK is bust and Brown thinks employing people by the State will create growth. He has run out of money so he pays them from the £200 billion QE. Remove the emergency low interest rates and QE and the UK is in a Winter of Discontent.
Brown is a disaster and his spinners and image makers are holding back a dam of bad press. He is the worst PM in history.
Brown
- Jackie, Hull UK, 21/02/2010 21:23
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I keep reading these comments about people who still support labour, but I can't find any in my neck of the woods. Then again, we now have the opportunity to get rid of our useless mp nick palmer.
- John Bell, Nottm, UK, 20/02/2010 17:41
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'Big names jostling for seats include TV historian Tristram Hunt and Harriet Harman's husband Jack Dromey.'
Both these names have been dropped in relation to the Leyton & Wanstead seat to be vacated by the disgraced Harry Cohen. Dromey moved on to Birmingham when he realised that Cohen has destroyed its status as a safe seat. Whatever Hunt's merits as a possible candidate, local activists are furious that they have not been allowed to choose a local candidate (from a poor field), and have been forced to accept back into the fold as candidates Councillors they have just voted to deselect. Many are refusing to campaign at the next election.
Leyton is an interesting microcosm of the internal decay of the Labour Party, illustrating how a former mass movement has become a clique of hereditary insiders feeding off its corpse, and showing complete contempt for real democratic politics. The local Council's mania for costly privatisations now allows the Tories to attack it from the left!
- Mdj E10, london uk, 20/02/2010 12:43
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The liberals in America are trying the same rhetoric with no success. The average voter knows you can not spend your way to prosperity. The government must stop spending when they are broke just like a family. This is reality, not the other side of the looking glass.
- James Andrews, sacramento USA, 20/02/2010 09:13
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Another Labour wet weekend getting out before the ship sinks...
sooner this election is over the better and the country can move
on with fresh impitus.............
- Basher, machynlleth, 20/02/2010 07:42
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wet behind the ears nobody, who cares , get a real job in the real world.
- Andy, brittany fr, 19/02/2010 20:04
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Thank goodness. Well rid of such useless trash.
I had soem contact with him re false allegations of fraud by DSS staff who were only interested in getting promoted by running up their case figures and fully aware of their ability to take advantage of the qualified privilege defence to defamation.
Predictably, he had no interest whatsoever in investigating. The behaviour of the trash employees of his department boosted his figures and presumably - by the standards of his pathetic over-inflated ego - boosted his political reputation.
Basically just another totally discredited Labour minister along with Woolas et al.
No understanding of the real world - along with too many of his colleagues, he has never had a proper job and he is no loss whatsoever to UK society.
- Jane Rochester, london england, 19/02/2010 19:57
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Big beasts? Few recognised them as that at the time or since. As for Purnell, the beast he recalls has a white stripe down its back and is accompanied by a foul smell.
- Alan Collis, Brussels, 19/02/2010 18:35
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This man is a right idiot, enough said.
- John ., Scarborough N.Yorkshire,England. U.K., 19/02/2010 17:28
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Parliament will be all the better for him not being there.
- Andy, london, 19/02/2010 17:15
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Yes, clear off. Take your Boss with you. The more the merrier. One wonders if at next week's PMQs if Mr McRuin will make some announcement of 'Mountainous Proportons'. Maybe he will make an announcement of an earlier than usual election. As matters financial and economic are not looking as rosy as expected. An early election, Labour in oppostion. then he, McRuin and his followers can then blame the 'governenment' for the fiscal mess (ie:- a Tory Party in government).
Of course, Mr McRuin and Pals will never, never accept any blame for any of the fiscal mess during the past 12 years. In fact they won't accept that they are to blame for anything - "Its all Maggie Thatchers Fault!"
- Uncle Vanya, Part of Eastern Provinces UK of Eurine-Land, 19/02/2010 16:58
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I simply do not believe these opinion polls. All I do believe is that if Labour win again the country will find itself in an economic situation from which it won't recover.
- Jonathan Lloyd, Nesle Hodeng France, 19/02/2010 16:51
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Hes a Tory in any case.Good riddance.
- Kev, London uk, 19/02/2010 16:12
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I agree with Alan, it is good news to see the back of Purnell. Some believe he was an asset to Labour - but he wasn't. He was lightweight, over promoted, and pushed incredible stupid and damaging welfare policies. And now he is bored! It really seems to be an ego trip for him.
But we still apparently to have to put up with him in Demos where he is promoting his ideas. I like to know who is funding his Demos project, if anyone can answer.
- Graeme, Tyne and Wear, 19/02/2010 16:02
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Do not forget the man who said Britain is best placed to weather the recession. Why is Britain still in recession? Because of his dogmatic incompetence!
- Colin Macpherson, Gramat France, 19/02/2010 15:49
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Good riddance to him.
I hope he finds a good job soon - he will soon have to pay for his own groceries like the rest of us in the real world. If not, he could always apply for one of his ESA's
- Alan Giles, Romford Essex, 19/02/2010 15:21
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A rat jumping ship, before it goes down on 6th May.
- Andrew, London, 19/02/2010 13:41
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A man with honour unlike some of his mates!
- Tojo, Hythe, 19/02/2010 13:09
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