SEVERAL East Lancashire MPs, including a former Labour minister, have demanded Gordon Brown face a leadership contest.

Janet Anderson, member for Rossendale and Darwen, is one of a clutch of MPs asking for leadership nomination forms before Labour’s conference next week.

She has been joined by Pendle MP Gordon Prentice and Greg Pope, MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, who said he has written to the party’s general secretary asking for voting papers to be sent out.

Mr Pope said: “We cannot go on like this.

"Tony Blair was the most successful and popular Labour prime minister in history and he has been followed by Gordon Brown — the least successful and popular.

“We are bumbling along behind the Tories in opinion polls and it cannot go on.

“It's just not working and we need to have a say in who is the leader of our party. Sending out the votes will give us that chance."

Justice Minister and Blackburn MP Jack Straw is standing strong next to Mr Brown.

He said: “My view on this is clear — I do not believe that a contest of leadership is in the best interests of the country or the party.

“The government is not popular at the moment because of the economic climate.

“Independent observers have said that the problems we are going through with rising fuel bills and food prices have nothing to do with this government, or any western government."

Mrs Anderson, a former Government whip and was a junior minister in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, is among 12 MPs who signed an article which issued a stark warning to Mr Brown.

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