Cabinet ministers back Brown

Gordon Brown is coming under increasing pressure to call a Labour leadership election
Several members of Gordon Brown's cabinet have refused to join calls from the backbenches for a Labour party leadership contest.Yesterday, Labour vice chair and Cypriot envoy Joan Ryan MP became the second Labour minister to leave her job after calling for a poll over the party's leadership. Meanwhile several other minor ministers joined the growing numbers speaking out against the leadership, including the sacked former junior whip Siobhain McDonagh. However, in an interview with BBC Radio Five Live, foreign secretary David Miliband said while he respects the opinions of the rebel MPs he "doesn't agree" with their views. "I do think that, from the top down, we know the scale of the challenge and that is what's important," he added. Environment secretary Hilary Benn told Sky that Mr Brown is "the right man for the job", and called on the party to back the prime minister "who was chosen overwhelmingly by the party last year". And business secretary John Hutton joined the premier's supporters, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr show on Sunday: "I am absolutely not going to condemn any of my colleagues who want that debate but I think we have to support the government and we have to support the work we are doing because it is absolutely the right direction for the country. "We are 20 points behind in the opinion polls so we have to do better and make our arguments clear and that is what we are trying to do." Earlier this week, Ms McDonagh - who sparked the beginning of calls for a leadership election by breaking ranks - said: "I think we need a leadership election. Anyone who wants to stand should stand. "We should have a discussion about what direction the party is going in. It's about time we allowed party members and people involved in the wider community in on that." The MP for Mitcham and Morden was the most senior of a group of Labour party members who have inquired about the nomination process. She said she had "never voted against the government" in 11 years but that "every morning I get up and think, perhaps it has to be people like me to say, come on, I think we have to have this debate". So far, five Labour MPs - Fiona Mactaggart, George Howarth and Janet Anderson, as well as Ms Ryan and Ms McDonagh - have asked for leadership nomination forms to be sent out. Two other fellow MPs, Graham Stringer and Gordon Prentice, have also publicly called for a leadership contest and more are expected to air their views next week. A motion for an official vote would require the support of 70 MPs and comes less than a week before the Labour party conference begins in Manchester on September 20th.