Minister resigns over PM's 'rule by smear'

Gordon Brown lost yet another member of his Government yesterday when the Farming minister, Jane Kennedy, quit rather than pledge loyalty to him. She called on the Prime Minister to "make way for an alternative leader".

She was the eighth minister to leave in less than a week, and her departure overshadowed the second stage of Gordon Brown's reshuffle, in which he appointed ministers below the cabinet rank. Her departure is symptomatic of the backlash in the Labour Party against the political manoeuvring in Downing Street made infamous by a leaked email from Mr Brown's former adviser, Damian McBride, in which he cast slurs on the personal lives of Tory politicians.

She resigned after a tense telephone conversation with the Prime Minister, who had been forewarned that she might be on the verge of quitting and had hoped to persuade her to stay, but wanted her support in the face of a threat from Labour ranks to try to depose him.

"I wasn't able to give that assurance and so I have not been reappointed. That's the fact of what happened," she said. "I wasn't able to give that assurance because I have been unhappy for some time about smears against colleagues, about undermining of colleagues and friends by No 10."

Labour MPs believe those around Mr Brown have carried on spreading innuendo about political opponents, despite Mr McBride's resignation. Asked whether her complaints were aimed at the Prime Minister himself or his aides, Ms Kennedy said: "I can't distinguish between the two and, in my view, it's how politics is driven forward by Gordon and the people around him. It really gets me very angry when I see that type of behaviour."

Ms Kennedy's departure was described as a "huge blow" by the president of the National Farmers' Union, Peter Kendall. Although she was in the job for only eight months, she had impressed farmers with her commitment.

"You could not have asked for more from someone who has thrown herself into getting to know the issues and the people in the industry," Mr Kendall said. "She has been all over the country countless times meeting farmers and she has done it with great sensitivity and an enormous amount of drive and hard work."

Stewart Houston, chairman of the National Pig Association, added: "It has obviously been a principled decision on her part and that doesn't surprise us because she has always struck us as being someone who says what she means and means what she says."

Earlier in the day, another former Labour minister, Sally Keeble, said that "time has run out" for Mr Brown. In an open letter to her constituents in the marginal seat of Northampton North, Ms Keeble accused the Prime Minister of failing a set out a vision for Britain.

She added: "Recent events have shown that Gordon Brown has not been able to manage relations within his Government. The person at the top has to forge a group of strong politicians into a united, coherent team to provide stable government. And that has, painfully, not happened."

There was also confusion yesterday about the status of Glenys Kinnock, who was appointed minister for Europe last week after the unexpected resignation of Caroline Flint. Mrs Kinnock is to be given a peerage to go with her new job, but she is officially an MEP until the new European Parliament, elected last week, meets. Under European law, she cannot be an MEP and a minister in a national government. Downing Street said yesterday that she will be the "acting" Europe minister until she has officially quit the European Parliament.

Despite these setbacks, Mr Brown completed his government reshuffle. One notable promotion was Sadiq Khan, the MP for Tooting, who was appointed Transport minister, with the right to attend cabinet meetings. He will also have to answer Commons questions on transport, because his boss, the Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis, is a peer. A bus driver's son, Mr Khan is the first Muslim to reach such a senior a rank in Government.

Last night it emerged that Shahid Malik, the Justice minister forced to step down while his expenses claims were investigated, is to return to the Government. Mr Malik has been cleared by the parliamentary watchdog of any wrongdoing, but will repay £730 of public money which he spent on a massage chair.

Moving up

*KEVIN BRENNAN - Department for Business (from Cabinet Office)

*DAVID HANSON – Home Office (from Ministry of Justice)

*JIM FITZPATRICK – Defra (from Transport)

*VERNON COAKER – Department for Children (from Home Office)

*JOAN RUDDOCK – Department of Energy (from Energy)

*GILLIAN MERRON – Department of Health (from Foreign Office)

*MIKE O'BRIEN – Department of Health (from Energy)

*BILL RAMMELL – Ministry of Defence (from Foreign Office)

*ANGELA EAGLE – Work and Pensions (from Treasury)