4th UK minister quits, dealing blow to PM

[June 03, 2009]  LONDON (AP) -- A fourth member of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government quit Wednesday in a new blow to his political authority amid widespread outrage over the country's lawmakers' expense scandal.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said she told Brown in a meeting that she would step down from her job before an expected reshuffle of Brown's Cabinet in the coming days.

"Today I have told the prime minister that I am resigning from the government," Blears said in a statement.

Her resignation follows the decision of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and two junior ministers Tuesday to quit Brown's government.

The developments have put pressure on Brown, who many observers believe has lost control of his Cabinet amid public fury over legislators' excessive expense claims.

British newspapers speculated that Brown's grip on power was slipping away.

"Rats desert sinking ship," said a front-page headline in The Daily Mail. "Meltdown for Brown," declared the Daily Express, while The Independent spoke of "Disarray in Downing Street."

Blears has been criticized for making tens of thousands of pounds (dollars) tax free by selling a home she was using public money to maintain. She later repaid 13,000 pounds ($21,500).

Brown is expected to shake up his Cabinet Friday or early next week in an effort to recover from the scandal. He had described Blears' actions as unacceptable, and was expected to fire her.

Lawmakers from all parties have expensed items ranging from cookies and cushions to horse manure, swimming pool repairs and bogus home loan payments, outraging the public.

About 15 lawmakers, including members of Brown's Labour Party and the Conservatives, have said they won't run for re-election. Analysts say hundreds more could be ousted in the next national election, which Brown must call by June 2010.

Beverley Hughes, a junior schools minister, and Tom Watson, a minister and longtime aide to Brown, said Tuesday that they plan to quit their government posts.

The resignations come before elections Thursday for Britain's representatives to the European Parliament, as well as for about 2,300 seats on local councils.

Brown's Labour Party is expected to be routed. An Ipsos MORI poll published Monday gave the Conservatives a 22-point lead over Brown's Labour Party, 40 percent to 18 percent.

Julia Clark, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said that was the Labour Party's lowest rating ever. The firm surveyed 1,001 people on May 29-31. No margin of error was given but in samples of a similar size it is usually plus or minus three percent.

[Associated Press; By DAVID STRINGER]

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