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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Gordon Brown 'to announce he will stand down as MP' | Gordon Brown 'to announce he will stand down as MP' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown will announce later that he will stand down as an MP at the next general election, the BBC understands. | Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown will announce later that he will stand down as an MP at the next general election, the BBC understands. |
| The Labour MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath has been in Parliament for nearly 32 years. | The Labour MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath has been in Parliament for nearly 32 years. |
| He served from 1997 to 2007 as chancellor, in Tony Blair's government. | He served from 1997 to 2007 as chancellor, in Tony Blair's government. |
| Mr Brown was then prime minister from 2007 to 2010, when Labour was defeated, recording its worst general election result since 1983. | Mr Brown was then prime minister from 2007 to 2010, when Labour was defeated, recording its worst general election result since 1983. |
| The 63-year-old recently played a leading role in the campaign against Scottish independence. | The 63-year-old recently played a leading role in the campaign against Scottish independence. |
| Charity work | Charity work |
| Mr Brown, who first entered Parliament in 1983, is expected to confirm his intentions in a speech to his constituency Labour Party later on Monday. | Mr Brown, who first entered Parliament in 1983, is expected to confirm his intentions in a speech to his constituency Labour Party later on Monday. |
| The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said it was "not a huge surprise", with Mr Brown having been a "relatively infrequent visitor to Westminster" since the 2010 general election. | The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said it was "not a huge surprise", with Mr Brown having been a "relatively infrequent visitor to Westminster" since the 2010 general election. |
| Since resigning as prime minister and Labour leader, Mr Brown has focused on charity work and his role as United Nations special envoy for global education. | Since resigning as prime minister and Labour leader, Mr Brown has focused on charity work and his role as United Nations special envoy for global education. |
| During the Scottish independence referendum campaign, he set out a timetable for boosting the Scottish Parliament's powers if voters rejected independence, which was backed by the leaders of the three main pro-Union parties. | During the Scottish independence referendum campaign, he set out a timetable for boosting the Scottish Parliament's powers if voters rejected independence, which was backed by the leaders of the three main pro-Union parties. |
| He held his seat with a majority of 23,000 at the last election. | He held his seat with a majority of 23,000 at the last election. |
| 'Low profile' | |
| Mr Brown, who as chancellor made the Bank of England independent and kept the UK out of the euro, took over as prime minister from Mr Blair without a contest in 2007, and decided against calling a snap election that autumn. | |
| His premiership was marked by the financial crisis and bank bailouts as the UK slipped into recession. | |
| After the 2010 general election, he stayed on as prime minister for five days during negotiations between the parties. | |
| With the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats poised to form a coalition government, he resigned as prime minister and stepped down as Labour leader, saying the job had been "a privilege". | |
| He has kept a generally low profile after leaving office, making an intervention in a debate on the phone-hacking scandal and later entering the Scottish independence campaign. |