Less than six months before a general election in Britain,
the governing Labour Party is embroiled again in internal strife.
Two former cabinet ministers have called for secret ballot of members
to decide whether the Prime Minister Gordon Brown
should continue as party leader.
Mr. Brown has called a general election by June this year.
Our political correspondent Rob Watson reports.
The two former cabinet ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt
had stunned everyone at Westminster
with their last-minute efforts to challenge Gordon Brown's leadership.
But Downing Street and Labour Party officials
have moved quickly to quash any revolts.
Most importantly, current cabinet ministers
have come out and backed the prime minister,
albeit in some cases with little apparent enthusiasm.
So the latest challenge looks likely to be short lived.
Although many within the Labour Party doubt
Mr. Brown's leadership qualities,
they also seem to think it would only make things worse
to get rid of him before the general election.
[00:00.00]Less than six months before a general election in Britain,
[00:04.71]the governing Labour Party is embroiled again in internal strife.
[00:08.20]Two former cabinet ministers have called for secret ballot of members
[00:12.11]to decide whether the Prime Minister Gordon Brown
[00:14.66]should continue as party leader.
[00:16.53]Mr. Brown has called a general election by June this year.
[00:19.27]Our political correspondent Rob Watson reports.
[00:22.44]The two former cabinet ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt
[00:26.98]had stunned everyone at Westminster
[00:29.22]with their last-minute efforts to challenge Gordon Brown's leadership.
[00:32.64]But Downing Street and Labour Party officials
[00:35.81]have moved quickly to quash any revolts.
[00:38.18]Most importantly, current cabinet ministers
[00:42.03]have come out and backed the prime minister,
[00:44.40]albeit in some cases with little apparent enthusiasm.
[00:48.19]So the latest challenge looks likely to be short lived.
[00:51.86]Although many within the Labour Party doubt
[00:54.60]Mr. Brown's leadership qualities,
[00:56.28]they also seem to think it would only make things worse
[00:59.58]to get rid of him before the general election.