Hazel Blears resigns from Cabinet as Labour MPs discuss plot to topple Brown

From the London Times:

Hazel Blears dealt a potentially fatal blow to Gordon Brown's political authority today when she announced her departure from Cabinet on the eve of crucial local and European elections.

It was the fourth ministerial resignation in 24 hours and the second at Cabinet level after the news yesterday that Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, is also to stand down. It also came as Mr Brown's critics in the Labour Party canvassed support for a round-robin letter calling on the Prime Minister to resign.

But whereas Ms Smith had been prepared to hang on until a reshuffle, Ms Blears announced her resignation less than two hours before Prime Minister's Questions and a day ahead of elections directly relating to her job.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said that she would be heading back to "grassroots" campaigning on the streets of her Salford constituency.

The timing was seen as a clear attempt to undermine Mr Brown — the Tory leader David Cameron told the Prime Minister it was "a direct challenge to your authority" — and raised fresh doubts about his ability to hold his frontbench team together.

It emerged, however, that Cabinet Office officials examining ministers' expenses claims had uncovered new "discrepancies" in Ms Blears's expenses, namely that she had avoided capital gains tax on the sale of another property that she had designated as her second home in Commons expenses.

It is believed that Mr Brown asked Ms Blears to delay her resignation statement until Friday or until he carries out the full reshuffle, but she refused.

In her statement, Ms Blears said: "Today I have told the Prime Minister that I am resigning from the Government. My politics has always been rooted in the belief that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things, given the right support and encouragement.

Meanwhile, Labour backbenchers were discussing the option of a direct appeal to the Prime Minister calling on him to resign.

Selected Labour MPs today received an e-mail asking whether they would sign a letter of no confidence in Mr Brown on Friday morning. The author of the e-mail is unclear.

Mr Brown's opponents believe that they could secure the support of 70 or 80 MPs for the move, although have not yet done so and the letter does not yet exist in hard copy.

Mainstream Labour MPs think it is unlikely such a formal move would ever be used, because they party does not want to "humiliate" the Prime Minister.

Polls ahead of tomorrow's elections suggest that Labour could be facing the worst drubbing in its history. By some counts the party is even trailing the UK Independence Party in voting intentions for the European Parliament.