7 Jun 2009

Labour MPs due to meet

8:13 am on 7 June 2009

Labour Members of Parliament in Britain are due to meet on Monday after a week of turmoil for the party.

A letter has been circulating in Parliament calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to resign.

A Cabinet reshuffle was held on Friday after four ministers quit in quick succession - taking the total number of ministerial resignations in the past few days to 10.

They included four women: Europe minister Caroline Flint, interior minister Jacqui Smith, communities secretary Hazel Blears and children's minister Beverley Hughes.

Newspapers described their resignations as the "Revenge of the Sisterhood".

Labour was also heavily beaten in local elections. The party lost control of all the English county councils it was defending.

Further dire results are predicted when European Parliament election results are announced on Sunday.

Another election wanted

Newspapers have called for a general election to be held.

The Sun newspaper said the prime minister was "desperately weakened" and called for a general election.

The Financial Times said Mr Brown was "still standing - just."

In addition, the paper said: "He faces humiliation in the European elections. He should show he commands a clear majority in his party or step down and clear the way for a general election."

However, Mr Brown said on Friday: "I will not waver, I will not walk away... I will get on with the job."

Later in France, where he was attending events to mark the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings, Mr Brown said he was focused on dealing with the economic downturn and rebuilding trust in politics after the expenses scandal.