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Labour chiefs block rebel request Labour chiefs block rebel request
(about 1 hour later)
Nomination forms for a party leadership contest will not be sent out to all Labour MPs, the party's ruling National Executive Committee has ruled. The Labour Party has moved to see off an attempt by 12 rebel MPs to force a challenge to Gordon Brown's leadership.
Twelve Labour rebels have requested the forms and say under party rules, they should be sent to all Labour MPs ahead of the party conference. Its ruling National Executive Committee has rejected calls to get nomination forms sent out to all Labour MPs before next week's party conference.
But the NEC backed the party's general secretary's decision not to send them. And cabinet ministers Harriet Harman, Alan Johnson and Alistair Darling have urged unity in the party.
NEC chair Dianne Hayter said the rules were clear and a contest could only be triggered by a card vote at conference. An assistant whip, party vice chair and a special envoy have left their jobs after calling for a leadership contest.
Three junior members of the government - whip Siobhain McDonagh, vice chairman Joan Ryan and special envoy Barry Gardiner - have left their jobs since Friday after calling for a leadership contest. Under party rules, the rebels would need to get the support of 70 MPs to prompt a challenge to Gordon Brown's leadership.
Rebel MPs 'Internal debates'
There have been reports that Scotland Office minister David Cairns is considering his position, but Downing Street sources have told the BBC he has not informed them he intends to resign. Twelve rebels, among them several former ministers, have requested nomination papers be sent out ahead of next week's conference - citing a clause in the party's constitution that nominations "shall be sought each year".
The twelve rebels hoping to prompt a leadership contest would need the support of 70 Labour MPs to do so. But the NEC agreed with general secretary Ray Collins, after taking legal advice, that they should not be sent out for the leadership when the party is in government, as had been the convention for the past 11 years.
They had requested nomination forms be sent out to all MPs, arguing the party's constitution states that nominations "shall be sought each year". One of the rebels, Janet Anderson, is an NEC member but she was not at Tuesday's meeting.
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General secretary Ray Collins had refused, saying that had not been the convention for 11 years. In a statement NEC chair Dianne Hayter said the rules were clear and "internal procedural debates" would not divert the party "from our mission of building a fairer Britain".
Among the rebels was NEC member Janet Anderson, but she was not at Tuesday's meeting. She added: "The NEC fully endorses the view of the Labour Party's general secretary and the party's independent legal advisers.
In a statement released after the meeting, Ms Hayter said "internal procedural debates" would not divert the party "from our mission of building a fairer Britain and helping people through these challenging times".
"The NEC fully endorses the view of the Labour Party's general secretary and the party's independent legal advisers.
"A leadership election when in government can only be held if requested by a majority of party conference on a card vote. Only Labour MPs can trigger the process and the NEC is confident that most MPs know their responsibilities under the rules.""A leadership election when in government can only be held if requested by a majority of party conference on a card vote. Only Labour MPs can trigger the process and the NEC is confident that most MPs know their responsibilities under the rules."
'Right person' Unity needed
Earlier Chancellor Alistair Darling urged Labour colleagues to "get behind" Gordon Brown. Leaving a cabinet meeting, Health Secretary Alan Johnson told reporters he was "absolutely confident" that the cabinet was united behind Mr Brown.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme what concerned people was issues like the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers - which in turn has seen shares fall in leading Asian markets. He added: "I believe we need unity in the party and I believe the whole history of this party shows the reason why - in the 20th Century, Labour governments were short interludes in Conservative rule, and why we ended up in the situation we did in '97 with so much to do, is because we were disunited in the past."
If they refuse a leadership contest, people will ask 'what has Brown got to be afraid of? Siobhain McDonaghRebel MP NEC nominations statementQ&A: Brown under pressureIf they refuse a leadership contest, people will ask 'what has Brown got to be afraid of? Siobhain McDonaghRebel MP NEC nominations statementQ&A: Brown under pressure
Deputy leader Harriet Harman said the cabinet was united behind Gordon Brown, who was the "best person to lead this country".
And chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party Tony Lloyd told the BBC later the number of rebels was actually "very small" and "many, many more MPs" would be needed to mount a serious challenge.
"The challenge actually is damaging, but in its public impact. It's trivial in its real impact and that's the paradox. We've really got to get back to real politics to the sorts of things that do affect people," he said.
Earlier Chancellor Alistair Darling urged Labour colleagues to "get behind" Gordon Brown saying he was the "right person to lead this country and to lead our party".
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme what concerned people was issues like the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers - which in turn has seen shares fall in leading Asian markets.
He said: "What I'd say is this, to my colleagues in particular, if you look at the front pages today, people of this country, as in other parts of the world, are concerned that at this time of unprecedented turbulence, we do everything we can to resolve these problems.He said: "What I'd say is this, to my colleagues in particular, if you look at the front pages today, people of this country, as in other parts of the world, are concerned that at this time of unprecedented turbulence, we do everything we can to resolve these problems.
"That's what we should be looking at.""That's what we should be looking at."
He added: "I have every confidence in Gordon Brown. I believe he is the right person to lead this country and to lead our party and I know that at the conference next week he will set out his vision for the future." Three MPs - former whip Siobhain McDonagh, former vice chairman Joan Ryan and former special envoy Barry Gardiner - have left their jobs since Friday after calling for a leadership contest.
The Guardian newspaper reported that the rebels are aware of legal advice given to past Labour party general secretaries who have been told that the papers must be sent out if members of the parliamentary party ask for them. There have been reports that Scotland Office minister David Cairns is considering his position, but Downing Street sources have told the BBC he has not informed them he intends to resign.
MP Siobhain McDonagh, another rebel who was sacked as a government whip on Friday, told the paper: "The leadership claim this rule has not been used in the past few years, but since when has a law become no longer lawful because it has not been used? And a source close to the Scottish Secretary Des Browne has insisted that Mr Cairns has "no intention of resigning".
"If they refuse a leadership contest, people will ask 'what has Brown got to be afraid of?'" Ms McDonagh told the Guardian she did not accept that nomination forms should not be sent out because that had been the convention recently. She added: "If they refuse a leadership contest, people will ask 'what has Brown got to be afraid of?'"