Brown could face mass resignation

London: Up to ten junior ministers are willing to resign to force Gordon Brown to stand down, Labour MPs claimed today.

The bombshell threat means the Prime Minister could face a mass resignation before Labour's conference in September. The danger level to Brown also increased following reports that David Miliband and Alan Johnson are being urged to forge a "dream ticket" in any leadership contest.

A former minister said: "Brown is proving an unmitigated failure and there is no shortage of MPs who are willing to go public with that view. "I have spoken to several members of the Government who say they will resign if it proves necessary to provoke a change of leader before it is too late. There are probably at least ten," he said.