Sunday Times: MPs campaign to make Jack Straw leader

Jack Straw was today forced to disown Labour MPs plotting to install him as a caretaker Prime Minister in place of Gordon Brown.

The Justice Secretary issued a statement in the wake of reports that an ally had been collecting names of MPs prepared to join a revolt against Mr Brown.

George Howarth, a former minister and close ally of both Mr Straw and Tony Blair, told The Sunday Times that Labour MPs needed to “think long and hard” about the leadership. He denied, however, claims by a backbencher that he had been “collecting names" for a challenge on behalf of Mr Straw.

In a statement issued today, the Justice Secretary tried to dampen down the issue, saying it would be a “big mistake” for the party to ditch Mr Brown.

"I am absolutely convinced that Gordon Brown is the right man to be leading the Labour Party. I was convinced of that when I was his campaign manager last year and nothing that has happened since has changed that view.”

He added: "It would be a big mistake for the Labour Party to now turn in on itself and indulge in a summer of introspection. Gordon Brown is the best leader to lead us through these tough times. He has done so before and he will do so again."

Mr Straw emerged as the figure senior ministers and MPs wanted to tell Mr Brown to quit in the wake of the disastrous Glasgow East by-election, which Labour lost to the SNP on a swing of 22 per cent.

Cabinet ministers have set Mr Brown a two-month deadline to restore some of Labour’s lost poll ratings or face a ministerial revolt.

However John Prescott, the former Deputy Prime Minister and deputy Labour leader, led a backlash against the Cabinet plotters, saying none had “anywhere near the skills and experience” to do the job.

“We have, undoubtedly, some very talented men and women. But with respect, none of them at the present moment has anywhere near the skills and experience, nationally and internationally, to lead this great party and country as we tackle these unprecedented major global problems,” he said.

Geraldine Smith, Labour MP for Morecambe and Lundesdale, said a change of leader would be “absolute suicide” and called on Mr Brown to reshuffle any plotters out of the Cabinet.

“All this leadership challenge is absolute nonsense. Who are these spineless individuals who are talking about getting rid of the Prime Minister,” she said.

“If they haven’t even got the guts to to say who they are then I do not think we should take that very seriously.

That message was reinforced by Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, and Mr Brown’s closest Cabinet allies, who urged his colleagues not to have a “public row”. “We have got to show is the strength, the discipline, the back-bone as a political party to do what the public wants,” he said.

Mr Balls was speaking towards the conclusion of Labour’s National Policy Forum where ministers gave in to union demands to increase those eligible for the minimum wage, extend parental leave for fathers of children up to the age of 16 and to pressure employers to allow time off for “non-medical emergencies”.

However, the Government fought off attempts to introduce less restrictive strike laws.

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