Brown suffers after minister resigns

A JUNIOR minister resigned from Gordon Brown’s government yesterday in the highest-profile revolt against the prime minister’s leadership so far. David Cairns was a minister in the Scotland Office.

Two MPs have already been sacked from government jobs for expressing dissatisfaction with Brown’s leadership, and a third quit after saying he should be challenged.

“The Prime Minister has accepted David Cairns’ resignation. The exercise of government demands collective responsibility,” Brown’s office said in a statement.

Earlier yesterday, the Labour Party national executive committee rejected calls for a leadership election that could have threatened Brown’s 15-month-old premiership. On Friday, the first member of the government, junior figure Siobhain McDonagh, was fired after calling for Brown to face a leadership challenge.

Other disgruntled backbenchers weighed in at the weekend, pointing to opinion polls showing the main opposition Conservatives leading Labour by more than 20 points with a general election looming by May 2010.

Labour rebels who want to ditch Brown are attempting to build up the pressure against him in the run-up to the party’s annual conference, which kicks off on Saturday.