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UK's Brown under pressure in European, local polls
Wed Jun 3, 2009 8:20pm EDT
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By Frank Prenesti
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced a new test of his leadership in European and local elections on Thursday, and rebels in his ruling party were reported to be campaigning for him to quit.
Hit hard by a parliamentary expenses scandal and the resignation of two cabinet ministers this week, the polls are Brown's last major electoral test before he has to call a general election next year.
Doubts are increasing about whether Brown can survive as leader and there was speculation that Labour Party members are canvassing support to demand his resignation.
Brown trails opposition Conservative leader David Cameron by as much as 20 points in national polls and his authority appears to be waning.
Opinion polls indicate that Brown's Labour Party could be pushed into fourth place in the European Parliament election as voters express their fury over lavish expenses claims by politicians while people struggle in a recession.
A new YouGov poll for the Daily Telegraph said among people certain to vote, Labour can count on just 16 percent support, just ahead of the Liberal Democrats on 15 percent and less than the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) on 18 percent.
The poll puts Conservative support at 26 percent of the vote.
The impression that Brown is struggling to keep control of his party increased on Wednesday when a second cabinet minister said she was stepping down, pre-empting an expected reshuffle the prime minister hoped would revive his flagging fortunes.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears joined Home Secretary (interior minister) Jacqui Smith in announcing her resignation. Both had been tipped for the axe in any reshuffle, but it sparked talk of a revolt against Brown.
REBEL PARLIAMENTARIANS
A group of rebel Labour members of parliament (MPs) was seeking signatures for a letter calling on Brown to step down, the Guardian newspaper reported on its website on Wednesday.
The same newspaper, which has traditionally supported Labour, also published an editorial on Wednesday calling for Brown to step down. A Labour politician told Reuters he believed such a letter was in the works.
However, Environment Minister Hilary Benn said he backed Brown to stay and would not support any rebels.
"Actually I don't think they will get a lot of support from many colleagues," he told BBC television.
Any change of leader would be certain to add to the clamor for a parliamentary election to replace a discredited lower house. A growing number of MPs have said they will not stand for re-election after getting caught up in the expenses scandal. Continued...
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