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| Gordon Brown announces he will stand down as MP | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to stand down as an MP at the next general election. | |
| The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP made the announcement at his constituency Labour party meeting on Monday evening. | |
| He was chancellor for a decade between 1997 and 2007 before spending three years in 10 Downing Street. | |
| Labour leader Ed Miliband said Mr Brown had been a "towering figure", while David Cameron said he had "given a huge amount" to public life. | |
| Praising his legacy, which Mr Miliband said included the minimum wage and the preservation of the United Kingdom following September's Scottish independence referendum, Mr Miliband said his predecessor as Labour leader "will obviously be missed" but "will carry on serving the Labour Party in other ways". | Praising his legacy, which Mr Miliband said included the minimum wage and the preservation of the United Kingdom following September's Scottish independence referendum, Mr Miliband said his predecessor as Labour leader "will obviously be missed" but "will carry on serving the Labour Party in other ways". |
| Under Mr Brown's leadership, Labour lost power in 2010 after thirteen years in government, recording its worst general election result since 1983. | Under Mr Brown's leadership, Labour lost power in 2010 after thirteen years in government, recording its worst general election result since 1983. |
| Since then, Mr Brown has kept a generally low profile, making an intervention in a debate on the phone-hacking scandal and later entering the Scottish independence campaign. | Since then, Mr Brown has kept a generally low profile, making an intervention in a debate on the phone-hacking scandal and later entering the Scottish independence campaign. |
| Charity work | Charity work |
| Mr Brown, who first entered Parliament in 1983, confirmed 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. |
| He returned to the political spotlight during the latter stages of the Scottish independence referendum campaign with the result in the balance, helping to secure the vote against independence | He returned to the political spotlight during the latter stages of the Scottish independence referendum campaign with the result in the balance, helping to secure the vote against independence |
| A key part of his role was setting out a timetable for boosting the Scottish Parliament's powers if voters rejected independence, a timetable which was backed by the leaders of the three main pro-Union parties. | A key part of his role was setting out a timetable for boosting the Scottish Parliament's powers if voters rejected independence, a timetable which was backed by the leaders of the three main pro-Union parties. |
| Supporters urged him to contest the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party but he declined, saying he did not want to return to frontline politics. | Supporters urged him to contest the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party but he declined, saying he did not want to return to frontline politics. |
| 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. |
| Treasury decade | Treasury decade |
| As chancellor Mr Brown oversaw a decade of growth, made the Bank of England independent and played a key role in keeping the UK out of the euro. | As chancellor Mr Brown oversaw a decade of growth, made the Bank of England independent and played a key role in keeping the UK out of the euro. |
| He took over as prime minister from Mr Blair without a contest in 2007 but his premiership, which suffered when he decided at the last minute against calling a snap election that autumn, was dominated by the financial crisis and bank bailouts as the UK slipped into recession with a soaring deficit. | He took over as prime minister from Mr Blair without a contest in 2007 but his premiership, which suffered when he decided at the last minute against calling a snap election that autumn, was dominated by the financial crisis and bank bailouts as the UK slipped into recession with a soaring deficit. |
| He saw off frequent rumours of challenges to his leadership by fellow Labour MPs, but his popularity never returned to the levels of his early days as PM. | He saw off frequent rumours of challenges to his leadership by fellow Labour MPs, but his popularity never returned to the levels of his early days as PM. |
| The low point came during the 2010 election campaign, when he was recorded referring to a voter he had just spoken to in Rochdale, Gillian Duffy, as a "bigoted woman". He later went to Mrs Duffy's house in Rochdale to apologise, saying he was "mortified". | The low point came during the 2010 election campaign, when he was recorded referring to a voter he had just spoken to in Rochdale, Gillian Duffy, as a "bigoted woman". He later went to Mrs Duffy's house in Rochdale to apologise, saying he was "mortified". |
| After the 2010 general election, he stayed on as prime minister for five days during negotiations between the parties. | 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". | 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". |
| Mr Cameron said: "Gordon has given a huge amount in terms of public service and his contribution in government and Parliament, and I am sure he will go on contributing to public life even after he has left the House of Commons." | Mr Cameron said: "Gordon has given a huge amount in terms of public service and his contribution in government and Parliament, and I am sure he will go on contributing to public life even after he has left the House of Commons." |
| 'Uneasy temperament' | 'Uneasy temperament' |
| Praising Mr Brown's legacy, Mr Miliband said his predecessor as Labour leader "will obviously be missed" but "will carry on serving the Labour Party in other ways". | Praising Mr Brown's legacy, Mr Miliband said his predecessor as Labour leader "will obviously be missed" but "will carry on serving the Labour Party in other ways". |
| "Gordon has been a towering political figure for a generation," he said. | "Gordon has been a towering political figure for a generation," he said. |
| "He's been instrumental in many of the Labour government's past achievements like investment in health and education and the minimum wage. He worked with other world leaders to stop the financial crisis becoming a great depression. And even recently he played a really important role in the Scottish referendum making sure there was a no vote." | "He's been instrumental in many of the Labour government's past achievements like investment in health and education and the minimum wage. He worked with other world leaders to stop the financial crisis becoming a great depression. And even recently he played a really important role in the Scottish referendum making sure there was a no vote." |
| Former Labour Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson, a one-time foe of Mr Brown's who was brought back into government by him in 2008, said Mr Brown had been instrumental in salvaging the global financial system in the aftermath of the 2007 banking crash. | Former Labour Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson, a one-time foe of Mr Brown's who was brought back into government by him in 2008, said Mr Brown had been instrumental in salvaging the global financial system in the aftermath of the 2007 banking crash. |
| Despite having what he described as an "uneasy temperament" and a capacity to "sometimes see conspiracies where none existed", Lord Mandelson said "no-one could take away" his achievements in office. | Despite having what he described as an "uneasy temperament" and a capacity to "sometimes see conspiracies where none existed", Lord Mandelson said "no-one could take away" his achievements in office. |
| "The balance of achievements will be very much in Gordon Brown's favour," he told the BBC. | "The balance of achievements will be very much in Gordon Brown's favour," he told the BBC. |