Labor ministers urge more time for Brown

MANCHESTER, England, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Some British Cabinet ministers loyal to Prime Minister Gordon Brown are urging unhappy Labor Party members to give the embattled leader more time, sources say.

Citing unnamed political sources, The Times of London reported Tuesday that the ministers are hoping to head off an anti-Brown revolt by Cabinet ministers who are allegedly planning to resign in an effort to unseat Brown from Labor's top post, perhaps as quickly as next month.

The newspaper said the prime minister planned to announce at the Labor Party conference in Manchester that he would stay on and fight for the party in next June's European and local elections, prompting loyal Cabinet ministers to lobby Labor Party members of Parliament to support more time for Brown.

But with most polls showing Labor heading for a historic defeat, senior ministers told The Times that if Brown can't stem its losses by next year, the case for removing him will be more obvious and acceptable to the country.