Former British cabinet members challenge Brown's leadership

LONDON, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two former British cabinet members called for a secret ballot on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's leadership only months ahead of a general election, Britain's Sky News reported on Wednesday.

Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt have written to all Labor Party members in the parliament, asking them to support a poll and saying that the issue must be sorted out "once and for all."

"As we move towards a general election, it remains the case that the Parliamentary Labour Party is deeply divided over the question of the leadership," they said. "Many colleagues have expressed their frustration at the way in which this question is affecting our political performance."

"We have therefore come to the conclusion that the only way to resolve this issue would be to allow every member to express their view in a secret ballot."

The British prime minister's office said on Wednesday that the Labour Party did not want a vote on Brown's leadership, adding that it was "ludicrous" to suggest such a vote would be helpful to the party ahead of the general election.

Tony Lloyd, who chairs the Parliamentary Labour Party, said there was "very little support" for Hoon and Hewitt's move.

Britain must hold an election by June. Opinion polls have given the opposition Conservatives a double-digit lead over Labor, which has been in power since 1997. Brown's opponents in the Labor party said his poor performance would surely lead to defeat in the election.

However, some analysts said the challenge was surprising, with an election so close and no obvious successor.