Labour’s ruling executive is set to quash moves by rebels to force a leadership contest, as dissent against Gordon Brown grows.

The party hierarchy on the National Executive Committee (NEC) will reject demands from about a dozen MPs who claim that it is breaching the rules in not sending out nomination papers as a matter of course this year.

MPs who want Gordon Brown to be challenged cite a clause in the party rules stating that nominations for the post of leader should be sought every 12 months.

But Ray Collins, the general secretary, has stated that the “convention” with Labour in government is that nomination papers are not distributed as a matter of course, but instead sent out to MPs on request.

The rebels say that the move is designed to stop colleagues worried about putting their head over the parapet from requesting forms.

Joan Ryan and Siobhain McDonagh have both been sacked from party and government jobs for calling for a leadership challenge. This morning, the Prime Minister's spokesman confirmed that Barry Gardiner had been axed as Mr Brown's special envoy on forestry "by mutual consent" after joining their campaign.

The rebel MPs need 71 Labour MPs to nominate a challenger if they are to bring about a leadership election, and have requested nomination papers be sent out to all MPs ahead of next week's party conference.

The dissenters hope to challenge the decision at tomorrow's meeting of Labour's ruling NEC, but seem certain to be rebuffed.

An NEC source told Times Online: “It is certain that Ray Collins’s guidance will be upheld. People will not get nomination papers as of right. They will have to ask for them.”

Sources pointed out that the convention that nomination papers are not sent out was brought in when Margaret McDonagh was general secretary of the party. It was the demand of her sister Siobhain, a government whip, on Friday for the papers that sparked the latest crisis over Mr Brown.

Tomorrow’s decision will be a welcome reprieve for Mr Brown, allowing him to get on with preparing his conference speech safe in the knowledge that he will not be challenged in the short term.

But ministers have warned that the issue of his leadership will have to be settled in the autumn if Labour’s prospects continue to tumble.

Yesterday John Hutton, the Business Secretary, and David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, showed understanding with the rebel cause, but firmly rejected any contest.

“I’m not going to criticise any of my colleagues who want Labour to do better, and neither am I going to criticise those who say that we do need to set out a stronger vision of what we are doing,” Mr Hutton told the BBC.

Mr Miliband said: “I think there’s a recognition from the top of the party down . . . that these are very, very challenging times for the Labour Party.”

Mr Hoon showed the sort of tolerance towards rebels not usually seen in a chief whip. “It’s important that people who have something to say in a democracy come out and say it,” he said.

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