Senior MPs accused of backing coup

Jan 6 2010

Some of the Government's most senior figures have been accused of giving tacit support to the latest bruising effort to oust Gordon Brown.

Plotters behind a demand for a secret ballot of Labour MPs and peers on whether Mr Brown should be replaced are said to have claimed that half a dozen Cabinet ministers were ready to join a coup.

The ministers in question were named by the BBC as Commons Leader Harriet Harman, Foreign Secretary David Miliband, International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth, Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy.

The six had apparently signalled to rebels that they were prepared to join an effort to remove the Prime Minister if it was conducted in the right way, according to the BBC.

All have released statements rejecting the surprise ballot call from former Cabinet ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt.

However, their comments appeared to stop short of giving Mr Brown full backing.