DEAR LEADER CALLS TIME ON HIS LEADERSHIP

GORDON Brown today announced he is to step down as Labour Party leader. In a move that has simply stunned the political world, the story of forming the next government has taken a dramatic twist.

Brown hopes his actions can help to woo Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats into forming a coalition government with the Labour Party, just as talks between Liberals and Conservatives looked to be moving towards a formal agreement.

This cannot be seen as a defeat for the PM. He hasn’t been ousted by his party, and he is still calling the shots. And if his resignation sweetens the deal with Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats then he may have just bought himself extra time in Downing Street until a new Labour leader is elected.