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I'LL GET RID OF PM
Brown's closest ally Ed Balls plots to oust him in 4 months if he doesn't up his game
GORDON Brown's closest ally Ed Balls is hatching a sensational plot to get rid of the Prime Minister, the News of the World can reveal.
The Schools Secretary has stunned Labour MPs by confiding that unless the polls show a miraculous recovery HE will tell Mr Brown he must quit.
Backbenchers were shocked to hear Brown's most trusted henchman, thought to be completely loyal, say he is prepared to oust the PM at Labour's annual conference in September.
Senior party figures say it's because Balls fears Labour could be heading for oblivion if Brown leads them into a general election.
And he is also desperately trying to buy his friend a few months' breathing space by promising to act himself if things don't get better.
One Labour MP told us: "The people around Brown-like Balls-are incredibly loyal to him. But their first loyalty is to the Labour party.
Threat
"We know we are going to lose the next election. But there is a hell of a difference between losing and ending up with just 100 MPs. That is the way we are heading. And it is dawning on even those around Gordon."
But Mr Balls' threat will inevitably be seen as the ultimate betrayal by a man positioning himself to take over the leadership.
Our source said he outlined his plan to MPs in the Commons dining room immediately after Brown met the Parliamentary Labour party on Monday.
"Balls made it clear he himself will get rid of Brown in three to four months if things haven't improved," said the MP.
The latest threat proves the PM is still not safe-despite surviving the resignation of 11 government ministers, including five of his Cabinet.
And further evidence of Ed Balls' worries came in a heated telephone exchange he had with Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
We can reveal he told Miliband he knew the PM had "lost touch" and needed "urgent correction." Meanwhile, Peter Mandelson-who saved Mr Brown during this month's coup attempt-has admitted there would be another bid to unseat the PM at the party conference in Brighton. Lord Mandelson warned there was a small group of backbenchers who would never accept Brown's leadership.
But Labour rebels say Brown has underestimated the scale of the opposition to him. They say he survived purely because neither new Home Secretary Alan Johnson or Mr Miliband was prepared to wield the knife.
"In private there is now a majority in the party and significant members of the government who want him to go," one rebel told us.
"But in the absence of a serious candidate prepared to challenge Gordon, they are not willing to go public. If we lose the by-elections in Glasgow East and Norwich, which we will, the people around Gordon will finally tell him the game is up."
Balls' apparent ambition for the top job will horrify many in the party. Brown was forced to ditch plans to make him Chancellor in this month's reshuffle after it sparked rebellion.
Alan Johnson is the clear favourite if Brown can be persuaded to go, while Miliband is seen as a "busted flush" after twice bottling the chance to challenge the PM.
Yesterday Mr Miliband revealed he came close to quitting when Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell walked out. But last night the party's former Deputy PM John Prescott slammed Mr Miliband's comments, saying they would breed disunity in the party and make a new leadership challenge more likely. He questioned the Foreign Secretary's motive for speaking out and revealed he already had "suspicions" about him.
Mr Prescott added: "A divided party is a defeated party. Why make a statement like this just when the party is pulling together?
"I agree with David that we have the fight of our life on our hands to save this government. But David, these actions do not help. They create uncertainty and doubt."
Meanwhile Margaret Beckett, sacked in the recent reshuffle, says Labour will lose the election under Brown. However loyal Labour chiefs plan changes at the annual conference to make it harder to unseat him.
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This article has 10 comments
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do Australians a favour and get rid of our Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd too whilst you're at it, thank you!!!
By Aussie Connection.. Posted June 18 2009 at 4:46 PM.
1. How does Brown have no mandate? We vote for a party to govern, not an indivdual - hence no republic. Idiot.......
2. Ed live up to his name.
3. Milibands' father would not be happy.
4. Psephology suggets that Labour wouldn't survive another gen election; based on 1997 figs.
5. All the other parties are clueless also, alas..
6. Lets all embrace the Euro, and go home!!!
By huhuw.. Posted June 15 2009 at 2:25 AM.
ray mallinson - the current government has benefited from North Sea taxes just as much as Thatcher ever did. Monthly production from the North Sea peaked during Blair's first term, and Brown tries to hide the fact that he relies on high oil prices to keep his North Sea revenues high.
The really scary thing is that our all-time tax revenues from the North Sea are about £150bn - and Gordon Brown has just spend those revenues in the last 9 months or so. And then he's going to spend the same money again next year, the year after, and the year after that. Unfortunately we only had one North Sea....
By El Sid.. Posted June 15 2009 at 1:26 AM.
Suddenly there are many experts on how to run the Country they all seem to forget that the last time we had a Tory gov they had the biggest financial windfall any gov has ever had in North sea oil yet the first thing they did in coming to office was to cut unemployment benfit we who were around then know why they launched a destruction policy on manufacturing the likes of this country has never seen before or since with millions put on the dole measured with todays measurenent of unemployed it would be 4 million dont go back there we have no north sea oil to pay for their selfish policies life under camerons millionares will be more painfull than under labour dont by the emty policy of David Cameron you should Know better just imagine morgages at 15% in todays climate dont go there please think before you vote again.
By ray mallinson.. Posted June 14 2009 at 12:35 PM.
Brown was never the man to run this country, he only got the job because he stabbed blair in the back.
He lied his way into the job, and he's lied since taking over.
He should have listened to the people a few years ago when everyone saw what was happening to this country, but he sat back and took no notice.
A labour party without brown and his policies they might stand a chance at the next election, but he needs to be gone in day's not months.
He has a government that have lost confidence in him, which is why they are rebelling against him.
He lost reality with everything, including the people who vote for his party.
He need's to go now, why wait another few months? he's trying to rig a constitution in his favour.
By bonnythescouser.. Posted June 14 2009 at 11:41 AM.
I agree 100% with all the posts. It is about time they all realised that they are done for. To change the Constitution to their own liking must not be allowed. Brown has no mandate, so how can he interfere with the Constitution? Surely, the Queen would have to pass any changes. It is her Government also. The lot of you, begone! Close the door quietly behind you, on your way out.
By Mike.. Posted June 14 2009 at 9:49 AM.
When will this lunatic govt get the message. Running a country is a serious business and yet we are left with these vile people...playing mind games with each other. The public hate the lot of you - when will you get the picture?
You are not there for your own amusement, you are there to obey the will of the people...get a grip and do the job you are paid to do.
This wretched bunch are not fit for office - we demand an election. Get it sorted...someone.
By Samantha Jones.. Posted June 14 2009 at 4:05 AM.
Why on earth is this man not smelling the coffee, his party is callapsing around him and the whole country want rid of the whole lot of them, but he is so arragant, he will not step down until he has completley ruined the country for good, GO NOW BROWN, even your own commrades dont want you.
By kenrowan.. Posted June 14 2009 at 3:41 AM.
Why should we all have to wait around for 3 or 4 months,(while Brown frantically tinkers with the Constitution and everything else that isn't broken - and breaking it in the process - simply to distract our attention from whatever deceptions he's getting up to),just for Balls to strike at a time which is advantageous to HIM.We need the whole useless shower out NOW so that a proper cleanup of Parliament can begin.
By Barking Spider.. Posted June 14 2009 at 2:33 AM.
As if anybody cares.. Nobody is listening to this Labour government anymore ,all trust has gone and the electorate are just waiting to vote this bunch of incompetents, out whoever is leading them.
By dave.. Posted June 14 2009 at 12:44 AM.