Resigned Blairite Ministers plotted to topple Brown

London, June 7 (ANI): Cabinet ministers supposedly loyal to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, reportedly coordinated a plot to force incumbent Premier Gordon Brown to step down.

Cabinet Ministers Hazel Blears, James Purnell, John Hutton and Caroline Flint all claimed that they were working alone when they handed in their resignations to Number 10, but The Sunday Telegraph discloses they were part of a group of Blairites that met secretly for months and tried to co-ordinate last week's resignations.

Their intention was to force Brown to stand down in favour of Alan Johnson, the then Health Secretary.rown faced fresh embarrassment last night after a leaked email showed that Lord Mandelson said the Prime Minister was "self conscious", "insecure" and "angry".

The Prime Minister faces another damaging poll defeat on Sunday with the announcement of the result of the European Parliament elections.

Brown will come under further pressure on Monday when he addresses backbenchers at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Meanwhile, a survey of Labour backbenchers by the paper discloses that almost half of those who responded either refused to support Brown or wanted him to step down. (ANI)