UK Minister Quits, Asks Brown To Resign
英国执政的工党在地方和欧洲议会选举中要面对不佳的结果，同时英国首相布朗(Gordon Brown)的内阁中又有一位大臣辞职，此人还呼吁布朗也辞职。英国选民周四投票选举地方官员和代表英国的欧洲议会议员，人们关注的焦点是布朗领导的英国执政党工党在此次选举中将表现如何。这是在明年6月前英国必须举行大选之前最后进行的一次全国范围选举，而最近进行的一些民意调查显示，工党在这两个选举中的名次有可能只位列第三甚至第四。就在布朗的政治生涯因英国经济衰退以及最近发生的一系列丑闻而遭遇挫折之际，这一败选前景加大了他下台的压力。在伦敦的投票于周四晚10点截止之际，布朗又遭遇了另一个沉重打击，给他打击的是他的一名内阁成员。英国负责就业和养老金的大臣柏尼尔(James Purnell)宣布辞职，他还呼吁布朗为了工党的利益也辞职下台。AFP/Getty Images英国负责就业和养老金的大臣柏尼尔周二来到唐宁街10号参加一个内阁会议柏尼尔是布朗内阁中三天内第三位辞职的大臣，但却是首位公开要求首相下台的大臣。虽然柏尼尔不算内阁中的最重量级人物，但他一直被视为一颗冉冉升起的明星。柏尼尔在写给布朗的一封信中说，我现在认为你继续担任领导将加大而不是缩小保守党赢得胜利的可能。最近几个月，英国反对党保守党在民意调查中的支持率大幅领先于工党。柏尼尔还说，他呼吁布朗下台，从而给工党一个在下次大选中力争胜利的机会。布朗的一位发言人说，首相对柏尼尔的辞职感到失望，他未来几天的工作重点将是重组政府，以及英国未来将面临的重大挑战。布朗面对的不满情绪是如此强烈，以致于有人质疑他是否能在首相的位子上呆到下次大选，更别说带领工党赢得大选了。在工党内部当前的这轮动荡中，本周已有5名政府部长辞职，其中三人是内阁级官员。英国此次全国选举的结果周四晚间还没有出来。投票前进行的民意调查显示，工党将遭遇失败。民意测验机构YouGov周四进行的一项调查显示，工党在欧洲议会议员选举中可能仅位列第三，落后于保守党和英国独立党，这一令人难堪的结果将加大布朗承受的压力。工党在这些选举中表现不佳有可能加大外界要布朗下台的呼声。布朗正试图通过重组内阁来重新站稳脚跟，而最近一系列部长的辞职则影响了内阁重组进程。就在工党遭遇挫折之际，观察人士正在看一些小党是否能借机增强实力。ComRes为《独立报》(Independent)进行的一次民意调查显示，三分之一的英国选民有可能把选票投给非主流政党，比报销门丑闻发生前大幅增加。Alistair MacDonald相关阅读英国央行维持基准利率不变 2009-06-05英国首相布朗面临仕途危机 2009-06-04英国的百万富翁少了一半 2009-06-03
Another minister in Gordon Brown's cabinet resigned -- and also called for the U.K. prime minister himself to quit -- as the Labour Party braced for a poor showing in local and European elections.U.K. voters cast ballots Thursday for both local offices and spots in the European Parliament, with a focus on the question of how well -- or how poorly -- the ruling Labour Party, headed by Mr. Brown, will fare. It's the last U.K.-wide electoral test ahead of a general election which must be called before next June, and Mr. Brown's party has been forecast in some recent polls to finish third or even fourth in both elections. That would add to pressure for the prime minister to step aside amid frustrations with the U.K.'s recession and a series of scandals.As polls closed at 10 p.m. in London on Thursday, Mr. Brown received another rude shock, this one from a member of his own cabinet. U.K. Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell resigned from the post and called on Mr. Brown to step aside for the good of the Labour Party.Mr. Purnell became the third member of Mr. Brown's cabinet to quit in as many days -- but the first to openly call for the prime minister to quit. While not the biggest name in the cabinet, Mr. Purnell has been seen as a rising star.'I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less, likely,' wrote Mr. Purnell in a letter to Mr. Brown. The opposition Conservative Party has surged ahead of Labour in opinion polls in recent months. Mr. Purnell added: 'Calling on you to stand aside to give our party a fighting chance of winning' in the next general election.'The Prime Minister is disappointed by the resignation of James Purnell,' a spokesman for Mr. Brown said. 'His focus over the coming days will be on restructuring the government on the big challenges facing the country for the future.'The anger aimed at Mr. Brown has gained such momentum that he now faces questions about his ability to even survive until the next election, much less win it. In a bout of turmoil within Labour, five government ministers, three at the Cabinet level, have resigned from their posts this week.Election results weren't available late Thursday. Polls in advance of the vote put Labour as an underdog. A survey Thursday by pollsters YouGov showed that Labour could finish third in European elections after the Conservatives and the UK Independence Party -- an embarrassing outcome that would ratchet up pressure on Mr. Brown.Poor results for Labour in these elections will likely intensify calls for Mr. Brown to step aside. The prime minister is attempting to regain his footing by reorganizing his cabinet -- a process that was undercut by the recent resignations.As Labour takes a hit, observers were watching to see whether fringe parties would gain strength. A poll by ComRes for the Independent newspaper suggested that a third of British voters could vote for nonmainstream parties, up sharply since before the expenses row erupted.Alistair MacDonald
Another minister in Gordon Brown's cabinet resigned -- and also called for the U.K. prime minister himself to quit -- as the Labour Party braced for a poor showing in local and European elections.U.K. voters cast ballots Thursday for both local offices and spots in the European Parliament, with a focus on the question of how well -- or how poorly -- the ruling Labour Party, headed by Mr. Brown, will fare. It's the last U.K.-wide electoral test ahead of a general election which must be called before next June, and Mr. Brown's party has been forecast in some recent polls to finish third or even fourth in both elections. That would add to pressure for the prime minister to step aside amid frustrations with the U.K.'s recession and a series of scandals.As polls closed at 10 p.m. in London on Thursday, Mr. Brown received another rude shock, this one from a member of his own cabinet. U.K. Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell resigned from the post and called on Mr. Brown to step aside for the good of the Labour Party.Mr. Purnell became the third member of Mr. Brown's cabinet to quit in as many days -- but the first to openly call for the prime minister to quit. While not the biggest name in the cabinet, Mr. Purnell has been seen as a rising star.'I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less, likely,' wrote Mr. Purnell in a letter to Mr. Brown. The opposition Conservative Party has surged ahead of Labour in opinion polls in recent months. Mr. Purnell added: 'Calling on you to stand aside to give our party a fighting chance of winning' in the next general election.'The Prime Minister is disappointed by the resignation of James Purnell,' a spokesman for Mr. Brown said. 'His focus over the coming days will be on restructuring the government on the big challenges facing the country for the future.'The anger aimed at Mr. Brown has gained such momentum that he now faces questions about his ability to even survive until the next election, much less win it. In a bout of turmoil within Labour, five government ministers, three at the Cabinet level, have resigned from their posts this week.Election results weren't available late Thursday. Polls in advance of the vote put Labour as an underdog. A survey Thursday by pollsters YouGov showed that Labour could finish third in European elections after the Conservatives and the UK Independence Party -- an embarrassing outcome that would ratchet up pressure on Mr. Brown.Poor results for Labour in these elections will likely intensify calls for Mr. Brown to step aside. The prime minister is attempting to regain his footing by reorganizing his cabinet -- a process that was undercut by the recent resignations.As Labour takes a hit, observers were watching to see whether fringe parties would gain strength. A poll by ComRes for the Independent newspaper suggested that a third of British voters could vote for nonmainstream parties, up sharply since before the expenses row erupted.Alistair MacDonald