Gordon Brown stands firm in bruising Prime Minister's questions (From The Northern Echo)

Gordon Brown stands firm in bruising Prime Minister's questions

1:12pm Wednesday 3rd June 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(2)

GORDON Brown stood firm in the face of calls for his resignation in a gruelling Prime Minister's question time.

The PM had been expecting a tough time in the wake of Hazel Blears' announcement that she was resigning from the cabinet -- and he wasn't disappointed.

Conservative leader David Cameron led the attack asking: "Why doesn't the Prime Minister accept that his ability to control the cabinet has simply disappeared?

"The Prime Minister is in denial. If (departing ministers) are so good, why are they walking away from their jobs? The minister in charge of local government has resigned the day before the European elections."

Mr Brown said he was getting on with the job of sorting out expenses and steering the country through the recession.

He paid tribute to Ms Blears and Home secretary Jacqui Smith and said he understood the reasons they had decided to quit -- blaming intolerable pressures in the wake of the expenses scandal.

But Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg added: "The Prime Minister is thrashing around fighting for his own survival. Doesn't he understand the dangers to democracy when people don't believe you are in charge?

"He just doesn't get it. It is a tragedy that at exactly the time people need help the country doesn't have a government -- it has a void.

"Labour is finished. It is obvious now that the choice is between the Tories and the Liberal Democrats."

Mr Brown said he had heard exactly the same thing from every Lib Dem leader prior to a general election.