Gordon Brown agrees to first televised election debate between Britain’s 3 political parties

October 2nd, 2009 British broadcasters propose US-style TV debatesLONDON — A coalition of broadcasters called Friday for pre-election debates between Britain's top three politicians, putting pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to face his challengers in an unprecedented U.S.-style television showdown. The BBC, Sky News television, and ITV have written to the leaders of the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties with a joint proposal for three live televised debates before the country's general election, which must be called by the middle of next year.

September 30th, 2009 LONDON - Britains most popular tabloid newspaper Wednesday said it was backing the opposition Conservative Party at the next election, but Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisted that it was the "people that decide elections. The newspaper, part of the News Corporation media empire owned by Rupert Murdoch, declared on its front page: "Labour's Lost It".

September 30th, 2009 The Sun newspaper backs Britain's ConservativesLONDON — The Sun newspaper has backed Britain's opposition Conservative Party for the first time since the ruling Labour Party took power more than a decade ago. The influential tabloid's political editor says it is now endorsing the Tories because Labour has "failed the country" and let his readers down.

September 21st, 2009 LONDON - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair thinks his successor Gordon Brown is a political "quitter" who could stand down before the next election. According to a new book, Blair has told his inner circle that Brown does not have enough political courage.

September 7th, 2009 UK opposition seeks US ties on defense projectsLONDON — Britain's main opposition party says it intends to work more closely with the U.S. on defense projects if it wins the next national election.

September 2nd, 2009 LONDON - Britain, the world's oldest parliamentary democracy, may see an American-style televised debate between the leaders of the nation's three main political parties, a report said Wednesday. Prospects for Britain's first prime ministerial television debate had moved closer after a series of meetings between the ruling Labour and opposition Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, The Times reported.

September 2nd, 2009 TV channel plans UK's first live election debateLONDON — Prime Minister Gordon Brown is weighing an invitation to debate with his two main rivals on live television — a first for Britain where leaders have resisted the sort of debates that can make or break election campaigns in countries like the U.S. and Australia.

July 8th, 2009 British Foreign Office minister resignsLONDON — Britain's Foreign Office minister Mark Malloch Brown says he will resign at the end of the month for family and personal reasons. Several ministers resigned from British Prime Minister's cabinet last month in protest over his leadership, but Malloch Brown insists he still greatly admires Gordon Brown.

June 20th, 2009 British PM vows to stay despite expense falloutLONDON — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said fallout over the recent lawmaker expense scandal has marked the worst time in his political life, but he has no immediate plans to step aside. Brown's popularity has sunk to record lows since details of lawmaker expense claims were leaked to a newspaper last month.

June 14th, 2009 LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown may have to face more difficulties in the days to come, as one of his closest allies Ed Balls, has said that he could ask Brown to step down. It has been revealed that Balls, who is currently the country's Schools Secretary, stunned Labour MPs by saying he is prepared to get rid of Brown at Labour's annual conference scheduled to be held in September.

June 7th, 2009 LONDON - Former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer has suggested British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to step down from leadership in a bid to reunite the Labour party. "I think we are moving moderately quickly towards the need for a change and that change may be a change in leadership.

June 5th, 2009 Brown: No plans of stepping down as British PMLONDON — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is defying calls from some in his own party to resign, saying he will not walk away from his responsibilities. Brown reshuffled his Cabinet Friday in hopes of hanging on to his job in the midst of a scandal over lawmakers' expenses, a string of top-level resignations and catastrophic results expected in local elections.

May 31st, 2009 UK Lawmakers should not decide their own salariesLONDON — Britain's prime minister, facing a national uproar over lawmakers claiming lavish expenses, promised Sunday to pursue constitutional reforms including a proposal to take away legislators' power to decide their own pay. Gordon Brown said he was shocked by the recent revelations that scores of legislators from all three main political parties had filed claims for a range of expenses from tax advice to swimming pools.

May 18th, 2009 LONDON - Britain's Conservatives Monday called for an immediate general election to end the 'paralysis' of the government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Conservative leader David Cameron said a nationwide poll should be held 'as soon as possible after the European elections' June 4.

January 20th, 2009 LONDON - Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Gordon Brown Tuesday sent messages of support to US President Barack Obama as parties were held across Britain to mark the handover of power in the US. The queen, 82, who has during her reign since 1952 met all US presidents with the exception of Lyndon B.