Defence Secretary became the sixth to quit in four days.
Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell quit with an open letter saying Mr Brown's (left) continued leadership would be 'disastrous' for Britain. -- PHOTO: AFP
LONDON - BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown began a shakeup of his ministerial team on Friday, as he attempted to recover from a scandal over lawmakers' expenses, a string of high-profile resignations and poor election results that have seriously weakened his authority.
Mr Brown was likely to promote key allies as he sought to head off attempts to oust him by critics within the ranks of his Labour Party. Some legislators view Mr Brown as an obstacle to the party's hopes of avoiding defeat in the next national election, which must be held by mid-2010.
Purnell's letter to Brown
LONDON - A THIRD senior minister quit the British government on Thursday, calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to quit to improve his party's chances at a general election due with a year.
Following is the text of Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell's resignation letter to Brown as published by The Times newspaper's website.
Mr Alan Johnson, the affable current Health Secretary who's tipped as the likeliest replacement for Mr Brown, urged colleagues to unite behind their leader in the wake of likely poor election results.
'I continue to believe that Gordon Brown is the best man for the job,' Mr Johnson said in a statement. 'It is vital now, more than ever, that we unite for the sake of the party and the government.'
Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell, as 39-year-old fast rising star in Mr Brown's government, dramatically quit late on Thursday and urged Mr Brown to step aside. 'I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less likely,' he told Mr Brown in a resignation letter.
Defence Secretary John Hutton - regarded as one of the Cabinet's best performers - announced on Friday he was quitting his post in the sixth surprise resignation in four days. Britain's defence ministry confirmed in a statement posted on the Internet that Mr Hutton had quit. Mr Hutton's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mr Brown's office confirmed that a reshuffle of the Cabinet was under way - the first since October - but said that ministers' new roles would not be immediately announced.
Britain's BBC and Sky News reported that Treasury chief Alistair Darling would not be moved from his key role handling the economy, despite concern over his expenses claims. Mr Darling has repaid some money after he acknowledged mistakes in his claims and has faced criticism over his manipulation of the housing allowance system.
Mr Brown replaced Tony Blair in June 2007. He has gained praise overseas for his handling of the global economic crisis, but seen his domestic approval ratings tumble. His government has been hammered by weeks of leaked details about lawmakers' expense claims, which have fuelled public anger at politicians.
Early results from local authority elections held on Thursday showed Mr Brown's Labour losing seats to the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, as voters chose to punish the British leader over the scandal. -- AP
