Gordon Brown repaid £180 in expenses 'to avoid doubt'
- 00:01:07
- ITN
Gordon Brown repaid £180 in expenses 'to avoid doubt'
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has insisted he will not quit after a disastrous day for Labour. A string of backbenchers called for him to leave Number 10 after one of the most chaotic Cabinet reshuffles in recent history. Mr Brown just about managed to put together a new top team after James Purnell's dramatic Thursday night resignation as Work and Pensions Secretary failed to trigger an all-out Cabinet rebellion. On Friday night Europe Minister Caroline Flint stormed out after being denied a promotion to the Cabinet which she apparently believed that she had been promised following a declaration of loyalty. In a blistering resignation letter, Ms Flint accused Mr Brown of using women ministers as "female window dressing". The party then lost its four remaining county councils to the Tories in a string of local election defeats. More bad news when the European election results come out on Sunday evening could be the cue for more rebels to show their hand when MPs return to Westminster on Monday. Arch-Blairite and former Cabinet minister Stephen Byers said: "I think on Monday Labour MPs will be considering a very important question - is Gordon Brown a winner or is Gordon Brown a loser? "Can Gordon Brown lead Labour to an election victory when the General Election is called or will he lead us to defeat?" The underlying weakness of Mr Brown's position was highlighted by his failure to remove Alistair Darling from the Treasury and replace him as Chancellor with his closest lieutenant, Ed Balls. With Mr Darling apparently refusing to accept an alternative post, Mr Brown could simply not afford another high-level resignation. Mr Brown was left to turn to Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to shore up his position, effectively anointing him as deputy prime minister in all but name. He also locked in Alan Johnson, the man seen as his most likely replacement, promoting him to the position of Home Secretary. Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon and Defence Secretary John Hutton both resigned from the Cabinet. Their exits followed on from the resignations of Mr Purnell, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in recent days.
ITN | June 6, 2009
