At just after 5pm today ( May 10, 2010), Gordon Brown announced that he would be willing to step down from the post of Labour leader staying no longer than is needed to set political reform in motion and assure economic growth. He stood on the steps of 10 Downing Street and said:
If it becomes clear that the national interest, which is stable and principled government, can be best served by forming a coalition between the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, then I believe I should discharge that duty to form that government which would, in my view, command a majority in the House of Commons, in the Queen’s Speech and any other confidence votes.
But, I have no desire to stay in my position longer than is needed to ensure the path to economic growth is assured, and the process of political reform, we have agreed, moves forward quickly.
The reason that we have a hung parliament is that no single party and no single leader was able to win the full support of the country. As leader of my party, I must accept that that is a judgement on me.
I therefore intend to ask the labour Party to set in train the processes needed for its own leadership election. I would hope that it would be completed in time for the new leader to be in post by the time of the Labour Party conference.
I will play no part in that contest. I will back no individual candidate.
See the full press announcement on the Labour Party’s web site.
I like the subtle jibe at Cameron “…no single party and no single leader was able to win the full support of the country. As leader of my party, I must accept that that is a judgement on me” [and Cameron should accept it as a judgement on him too]