Gordon Brown: I'm the right man for the job!

Gordon Brown has said he will carry on as Prime Minister despite a string of senior ministers quitting his Government. At a No 10 press conference, Mr Brown said: "If I didn't think I was the right person leading the right team ... I would not be standing here. I have faith in doing my duty ... I believe in never walking away in difficult times." He admitted Labour had plunged to "a painful defeat" in the local elections, but added: "I will not waver. I will not walk away. I will get on with the job." He said the current political crisis, fuelled by the Westminster expenses scandal "is a test of everyone's nerve - mine, the Government's, the country's". During the press conference, Mr Brown confirmed Europe minister Caroline Flint too has resigned and said she is being replaced by Glenys Kinnock, wife of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock. In her resignation letter Ms Flint said Mr Brown is operating a "two-tier Government: your inner circle and the remainder of the Cabinet". And slammed him for treating her as "female window dressing". Late on Thursday, Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell made the shock announcement that he was resigning. Hours later, Defence Secretary John Hutton said he was going, with Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon hot on his heels. And as Norwich North MP Ian Gibson announced his resignation with immediate effect over his expenses claims, it emerged that Margaret Beckett and Employment minister Tony McNulty are also going. Mr Hutton, one of Tony Blair's closest allies and known to have private reservations about Mr Brown as leader, has however been loyal since becoming a surprise inclusion in the PM's first Cabinet in 2007. He was moved to defence last October. He is standing down as MP for Barrow and Furness at the next General Election but insisted that this is the only reason for his decision to quit the Cabinet. Armed Forces minister Bob Ainsworth will replace him as Defence Secretary. Mr Hutton said: "My decision is a personal one. I am absolutely committed to supporting Gordon as Prime Minister and doing everything I can to get a Labour Government elected at the next Election." Asked if he was deserting a "sinking ship" Mr Hutton said: "I am not deserting Gordon, I am not deserting my party, I am not deserting my Government." And asked about Mr Purnell, Mr Hutton said: "I disagree with James, I have a great deal of respect for him both as a man and a politician and I think the politicians that are always remembered are those who actually have the courage to say 'Look, difficult though it is, this is what I think'." He continued: "Now I disagreed with James' view about how we can best conduct our affairs over the next year or so because I don't think there is an alternative; Gordon is our leader, we should support him." Mr Hutton rejected suggestions that Mr Brown's departure was now "inevitable", adding: "We have made our choice of party leader and Prime Minister and it is our responsibility to support him now in these very difficult times and I will certainly be doing that." Mr Purnell's resignation letter was released to several newspapers. It calls on Mr Brown to step aside for the good of the Labour Party, saying that his continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less, likely. The letter reads: "Dear Gordon, We both love the Labour Party. I have worked for it for twenty years and you for far longer. We know we owe it everything and it owes us nothing. "I owe it to our Party to say what I believe no matter how hard that may be. I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less likely. "That would be disastrous for our country. This moment calls for stronger regulation, an active state, better public services, an open democracy. It calls for a Government that measures itself by how it treats the poorest in society. Those are our values, not David Cameron's." Conservative Party leader David Cameron reacted to the news by saying: "In a deep recession and a political crisis, we need a strong united Government. Instead we have a Government falling apart in front of our eyes. "For the sake of the country, Gordon Brown must carry out the one final act of authority left open to him, go to the Palace and call the general election we have been demanding."

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ITN | June 5, 2009

Tags:. .disagreed. .deserting. .caroline. .plunged. .glenys