Beleaguered by Labor Party plotters hoping to unseat him and by the prospect of disastrous local election results for Labor that are expected on Friday morning, Prime Minister Gordon Brown chose on Thursday to send out aides avowing to reporters, anonymously, that there was “no chance” he would resign.
The prime minister’s move, reported by the BBC and the Web sites of several British newspapers, surprised nobody, given Mr. Brown’s trademark as a political pit bull. He has a reputation for fighting his corner with a tenacity born of the decade he spent playing a smoldering second fiddle to Prime Minister Tony Blair before usurping him in a party revolt two years ago.
Veteran Lib Dem Sir Alan Beith has become the first MP to declare an interest in replacing Michael Martin as House of Commons Speaker.
Sir Alan, who was in the running for the post in 2000, told BBC News he would stand if he had enough support.
He added that he had “started to get indications of that from people in at least three parties”.
Earlier, Mr Martin announced he would stand down amid pressure over his handling of MPs expenses.
He told the Commons he would relinquish his post on 21 June, allowing MPs to choose his successor the following day.
‘Whiter than white’
