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Brown to quit as Labour leader Brown to quit as Labour leader
(10 minutes later)
Gordon Brown has said he is stepping down as Labour Party leader.Gordon Brown has said he is stepping down as Labour Party leader.
Mr Brown, prime minister since 2007, said he wanted a successor to be in place by the time of the party's conference in September.Mr Brown, prime minister since 2007, said he wanted a successor to be in place by the time of the party's conference in September.
Mr Brown announced his intention to quit in a statement in Downing St in which he also said his party was to start formal talks with the Lib Dems.Mr Brown announced his intention to quit in a statement in Downing St in which he also said his party was to start formal talks with the Lib Dems.
The Conservatives won the most seats and most votes in the election and have been in talks with the Lib Dems.The Conservatives won the most seats and most votes in the election and have been in talks with the Lib Dems.
Mr Brown said no party had won an overall majority in the UK general election and, as Labour leader, he had to accept his part in that. Mr Brown said Britain had a "parliamentary and not presidential system" and said there was a "progressive majority" of voters.
He said he had no desire to stay in his position longer than was needed to form a stable government, and that he would ask the Labour Party to set in form the process of a leadership contest. Voters' judgement
He said it could be in the interests of the country to form a "progressive" government - possibly in coalition with the Lib Dems - the UK's third largest party. He said if the national interest could be best served by a coalition between the Lib Dems and Labour - he said he would "discharge that duty to form that government".
But he added that no party had won an overall majority in the UK general election and, as Labour leader, he had to accept that as a judgement on him.
"I therefore intend to ask the Labour Party to set in train the processes needed for its own leadership election.
"I would hope that it would be completed in time for the new leader to be in post by the time of the Labour Party conference.
"I will play no part in that contest, I will back no individual candidate."
He said Lib Dem leader Mr Clegg had requested formal negotiations with Labour and it was "sensible and in the national interest" to respond positively to the request.
He said the Cabinet would meet soon and a "formal policy negotiation process" would be established.
It emerged earlier that the Lib Dem negotiating team, who have held days of talks with the Conservatives, had also met senior Labour figures in private.It emerged earlier that the Lib Dem negotiating team, who have held days of talks with the Conservatives, had also met senior Labour figures in private.
The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said one of the stumbling blocks to any Lib Dem-Labour deal had been Mr Brown himself.The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said one of the stumbling blocks to any Lib Dem-Labour deal had been Mr Brown himself.