British Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced more calls to step down on Monday after his Labour Party suffered a heavy defeat in European elections, taking its lowest share of a national vote since 1910. Brown, who has vowed to stay on, will talk to Labour lawmakers later on Monday to try to quell internal unrest - a growing number have urged him quit to give Labour a fighting chance at the next parliamentary election, due by June 2010.
-- Labour share of EU vote lowest for any poll in a century
-- Brown to face Labour members of parliament at 1800 GMT
-- Far right British National Party wins two EU seats
The collapse in the Labour vote, which followed a dismal showing in local government elections last week, helped the far-right British National Party win two seats in the European Parliament, the first time it has been represented there. Labour won 15.7 percent of the vote, behind the anti-EU UK Independence Party on 16.5 percent and the Conservatives on 27.7. Labour's vote was about seven points down from the 2004 European election.
A ComRes opinion poll suggested 62 percent of voters want an election as soon as possible. The poll also indicated a change of leader was unlikely to improve Labour's chances of success. Polls predict a big win for the opposition Conservatives. "We need to give the Labour party a fighting chance of winning back the support of the people," Jane Kennedy, the latest junior minister to desert Brown, told Sky News.
"Part of my disquiet is that Gordon is not able to do that." Six senior cabinet ministers resigned last week and several junior ministers have followed suit, including a woman minister who accused Brown of treating her as "window dressing" and others who said he ran a bullying administration. Brown reshuffled his cabinet in an effort to reassert his authority.
Investors have been unsettled by the prospect of a leadership battle at a time of economic turmoil and soaring government borrowing, and the uncertainty has weakened the pound. Markets are also concerned any future government may not command a strong majority after the opposition Conservatives failed to gain significantly in the European election. All the main parties have been severely tainted by an expenses scandal.
Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman conceded the European election results were a "very, very bad defeat" for Labour but said Brown, 58, was "resilient" and would fight on. Opposition centre-right Conservative leader David Cameron challenged the prime minister to call an election.
"It would give the country a fresh start where we so badly need one, with an economy that is in difficulty, with a political system that is in a mess and with a government that is so weak it is just extraordinary," he said. While speculation of a revolt within Labour has dominated headlines for days, organising a challenge is complex and requires significant support. No candidates have yet emerged and there are growing signs that the insurrection may peter out.
If Brown were to go, it could precipitate an early general election, which the Conservatives are expected to win after 12 years in opposition. Yet Labour has rebounded before. A year after crashing in local and European elections in 2004, Labour won a historic third consecutive term in government - suggesting that the party that Tony Blair brought to power on a wave of popular support in 1997 may have more staying power than some opponents believe.
Brown and his leadership circle believe their best chance of winning an election rests on a strong economic turnaround. There have been some signs that Britain may be starting to emerge from recession faster than forecast, but Bank of England policymakers have warned that the recovery may be slow.