Brown faces fresh leadership challenge

BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown fought to quell a challenge to his leadership yesterday from two senior figures in his Labour Party, but the rebellion exposed a badly divided party months before a national election that polls predict Labour will lose.

Two former members of Brown’s cabinet sent a letter to fellow Labour lawmakers calling for a secret ballot on his leadership.

Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt said in the letter that grumbling about Brown’s performance was dividing the party at the worst possible time.