World | Updated Jun 07, 2009 at 12:01pm IST

Brown under pressure, more UK ministers quit

Sanjay Suri Sanjay Suri, CNN-IBN

London: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is fighting to keep his government intact after the scandal of ministers misusing public money.

Two more ministers of his Cabinet quit on Friday taking the total to six. Defence Secretary John Hutton and Pensions Secretary James Purnell quit on Friday saying there's no way Labour party will win the next election with Gordon Brown as the leader.

Brown's public image has taken a beating after a political expenses scandal in which ministers and MPs were found to have illegally claimed expenses for their personal use.

"I don't think it's in the interest of the country more particularly to have a leadership contest now. This is a difficult time for the government," says Labour MP and Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell.

Even the public is not happy with Brown.

"I think he needs to go. I think he's really poor. I think, a big problem for me is that he stepped in and wasn't voted in," a resident of London says.

But Brown is soldiering on. He has reshuffled his Cabinet but knows that if Labour does badly in the local council elections he may have to go.

"The past few weeks have been difficult for every member on every side of this House. I think people have got to recognise in the politicking that goes on that there have been enormous pressures on people," Gordon Brown had said on June 2.

Any change of leader would add to the clamour for an early General Election, probably in October.

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