GORDON Brown's premiership was in its death throes last night after another wave of ministerial resignations and a devastating personal attack by one of his former colleagues.
The Prime Minister's attempts to shore up his authority with a Cabinet reshuffle were punctuated with a series of high-profile resignations throughout the day. In all, 11 ministers – five of them women – have resigned in the past four days.
But the most damaging assault came in an explosive resignation letter from Europe minister Caroline Flint, who accused Mr Brown of running a "two-tier" government and of treating women in his Cabinet as "female window dressing".
She added: "I am a natural party loyalist. Yet you have strained every sinew of that loyalty."
Her statement undermined Mr Brown's attempt to restore his credibility in the face of a growing party revolt and one of the worst sets of local election results in Labour's history.
'Just female window dressing' - Full text of Caroline Flint's resignation letterAt a news conference, a defiant but nervous-looking Mr Brown accepted responsibility for the turmoil within the party and the country but insisted he would not walk out.
"If I didn't think I was the right person leading the right team … I would not be standing here," he said. "I will not waver. I will not walk away. I will get on with the job." But Labour rebels remain unconvinced and it is expected some of them will confront Mr Brown on Monday as the results of the European elections are laid bare.
Mr Brown hopes to appease the doubters with a string of initiatives on constitutional reform next week. But a trip to Normandy today – ironically for the D-Day commemorations – could provide cover for his party to plot against him.
Analysis: Unlikely bedfellows unite in bid to oust Brown and save their own skinsIn a move that would mimic the start of Margaret Thatcher's downfall while she was in Paris, Mr Brown could find junior ministers and rebels colluding while he is abroad.
Stephen Byers, a former Cabinet minister, warned the European election results could trigger a further revolt.
A poor turnout has sparked fears that Labour could be pummelled into fourth place, behind the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Ukip.
Mr Byers said: "I think on Monday, Labour MPs will be considering a very important question – is Gordon Brown a winner or is Gordon Brown a loser? Let's see how the results are going to come out."
Another sign of insurrection came when Scots-born MP Ian Gibson revealed yesterday that he was to stand down from parliament to trigger a by-election.
The Norwich North MP has been banned from standing for Labour over his expenses, but friends claimed he was being punished for being an outspoken critic of the government.
After yesterday's reshuffle, Mr Brown's Cabinet was left with only seven women, just four of whom are of full Cabinet ministerial rank.
Cabinet reshuffle: New Cabinet listed in fullIn her parting shot, Ms Flint referred to the role of women at Westminster and wrote to Mr Brown that:
"I am extremely disappointed at your failure to have an inclusive government.
"You have a two-tier government. Your inner circle and then the remainder of Cabinet.
"I have the greatest respect for the women who have served as full members of Cabinet and for those who attend as and when required. However, few are allowed into your inner circle.
"Several of the women attending Cabinet – myself included – have been treated by you as little more than female window dressing. I am not willing to attend Cabinet in a peripheral capacity any longer."
She went on: "Time and time again I have stepped before the cameras to sincerely defend your reputation in the interests of the Labour Party and the government as a whole. I am a natural party loyalist. Yet you have strained every sinew of that loyalty."
Ms Flint added: "It has been apparent for some time that you do not see me playing a more influential role in the government. Therefore, I have respectfully declined your offer to continue in the government."
Her attack came as Mr Brown's efforts to embark on a dramatic reshuffle were thwarted by the refusal of Chancellor Alistair Darling and Foreign Secretary David Miliband to budge from their posts. The only minister he was able to sack was Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy, who insiders said was "too nice to complain".
Left scrambling to plug the gaps in his government, Mr Brown turned to former Welsh secretary Peter Hain to take up his old post and Labour MEP Glenys Kinnock to become Europe minister.
The Prime minister also made tycoon and TV star Sir Alan Sugar a peer, to take the role of enterprise tsar.
The changes did not go down well with many. One Scots MP spoken to by The Scotsman said: "It is the endgame for Brown. The fact he has to rely on retreads, unelected lords and one celebrity will hardly inspire confidence in his government."
Another source described his fury at "gutless" ministers who rallied behind Mr Brown, saying: "No wonder the public hates all politicians. I despise them, too.
"There are people around that Cabinet table who hate Gordon yet expect the back-benchers to do the dirty work for them."
The MP added that, unless there were signs of a confrontation involving the "big beasts" such as Mr Straw or Mr Miliband, few MPs would want to sign a rebel letter urging Mr Brown to go.
The source said: "Why should it just be the troops who have their heads shot off while the officer class stays safe?"
Government sources warned, however, that Labour rebels would have to brace themselves for a general election if Mr Brown was ousted.
Buoyed by the chaos surrounding the government, Tory leader David Cameron renewed his call for an immediate general election.
"At a time when our economy is in such difficulty and our politics are so mired in scandal, what we need is a strong government, and yet what we see today is a government that is so weak, it's hard to believe," he said. "The Prime Minister isn't reshuffling his Cabinet – they are reshuffling themselves."
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg claimed the government was finished. "Whether Gordon Brown stays, whether Gordon Brown goes, whether someone replaces him, it is irrelevant, because the Labour government is finished," he said.
"The Labour Party has no right, when people are crying out for help, to hold the country hostage with its own splits and infighting."
The latest opinion polls will give disgruntled Labour MPs more cause for concern.
The party is now neck and neck with the Liberal Democrats on 18 per cent, after falling 22 points behind the Tories with less than a year to go before a general election has to be held.
The Conservatives were down one point from last month on 40 per cent, with Labour down ten points, according to the survey for Ipsos Mori. A poll conducted by Scotsman.com, also yesterday, found 82 per cent of respondents felt Mr Brown should not continue as Prime Minister.
The possibility of the government collapsing has led to uncertainty in the currency markets all week, and the latest day of high political drama took its toll on sterling, which plunged to a two-week low against the euro, before recovering some ground.
Bookmakers have already had their say on how it's all going to play out. Paddy Power has begun to pay out on Mr Brown leaving office by the end of August.
A WEEK OF WOE
Monday: Doubt surrounded the future of Chancellor Alistair Darling after Gordon Brown said he had made a "mistake" over his expenses. The Prime Minister was forced to fend off a flurry of questions over the Chancellor's position after Mr Darling admitted he would be paying back hundreds of pounds and apologised "unreservedly".
Tuesday:News of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's looming resignation leaks out. Within a few hours, former Cabinet minister Patricia Hewitt announces she will stand down from parliament as does children's minister Beverley Hughes and Cabinet Office minister Tom Watson. He is one of Mr Brown's staunchest allies and his departure remains a mystery. Expenses-scandal-hit back-bencher David Chaytor also reveals he will not stand again. Late that night, the party rushes out a statement confirming it is banning a clutch of MPs, including Mr Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Margaret Moran, from standing for Labour again. But a backlash brews when Scots-born Norwich North MP Ian Gibson is included in the list. Supporters insist his expenses situation was not comparable with the others and that he was being vilified for being an independently-minded MP.
Wednesday:Communities Secretary Hazel Blears – wearing a brooch with the slogan "rocking the boat" – quits the Cabinet on the eve of European and local elections.
Conservative leader David Cameron said the fourth ministerial resignation in two days showed Mr Brown had lost command of a government that was "collapsing before our eyes", while Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg told MPs: "Labour is finished." In the so-called Hotmail Plot it emerges that an e-mail has been circulated by party rebels calling for Mr Brown to quit, and that there were 50 MPs willing to put their name to it.
Thursday: After an uneasy polling-day truce, Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell breaks cover at 10pm. In a letter, he calls on Mr Brown to step down, stating his continued leadership makes a Tory victory more likely. Back-bench loyalists take to the airwaves to support Mr Brown, as do Cabinet ministers.
Friday: By mid-morning, one of those ministers has changed his mind. Defence Secretary John Hutton reveals he is quitting his post and standing down at the next general election. A hasty Cabinet reshuffle ensues. By the end of the afternoon, Geoff Hoon, Margaret Beckett and Europe minister Caroline Flint, who had only 24 hours ago pledged loyalty, had all resigned. In announcing her resignation, Ms Flint accused the Prime Minister of using women as "female window-dressing" in his government.
