Gordon Brown yesterday called his Cabinet into line after the botched attempt to oust him from No10.
Brown told ministers to get on with their jobs of running the country and have a “laser focus” on the issues.
His words at the weekly Cabinet meeting came after a turbulent few days for Labour in which former ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt failed in their challenge to Mr Brown’s leadership.
The dumb and dumber duo banked on Cabinet rebels joining a coup but the plot fizzled out in hours as minister after minister pledged loyalty to the PM. Yesterday, a humbled Mr Hoon accepted the attempt had flopped The former Defence Secretary said: “I think it’s probably over. We don’t appear to have succeeded. We set it out and it’s really for them to decide.”
He spoke as he was facing a difficult meeting of his constituency party in Ashfield, Notts. Council leader John Knight told the BBC local activists were “shocked and disappointed” at the plot.
Mr Hoon tried to justify it by saying Labour “thrived” on debate.
He said: “Our aim was simply to resolve this matter.”
At least six Cabinet ministers were alleged to have been privately supportive of the Hoon-Hewitt plot. But yesterday’s meeting at No10 was said to have been a model of Cabinet unity.
Gordon Brown’s spokesman said the coup was not referred to and that “the meeting emphasised how collegiate Cabinet ministers are”.
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