Gordon Brown's supporters today warned would-be rebels that the Labour party was in no mood for a leadership challenge, as they sought to rally around the beleaguered prime minister.Brown, who was in Normandy for the 65th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings, reiterated his determination to carry on with the job, despite a fracturing of his authority and backbench calls for him to go."In these unprecedented times you are bound to have ups and downs in politics," he told reporters in France. "But you have got to stick with the policies and make sure that they come through."But a new poll of Labour activists brought further bad news for the prime minister, revealing that fewer than half of all party supporters want him to lead them into the next general election, with one in five urging him to quit now.
Gordon Brown's supporters today warned would-be rebels that the Labour party was in no mood for a leadership challenge, as they sought to rally around the beleaguered prime minister.
Brown, who was in Normandy for the 65th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings, reiterated his determination to carry on with the job, despite a fracturing of his authority and backbench calls for him to go.
"In these unprecedented times you are bound to have ups and downs in politics," he told reporters in France. "But you have got to stick with the policies and make sure that they come through."
But a new poll of Labour activists brought further bad news for the prime minister, revealing that fewer than half of all party supporters want him to lead them into the next general election, with one in five urging him to quit now.
Voters delivered a brutal verdict to Labour yesterday, as the party lost control of all its remaining English county councils in Thursday's voting.Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire fell out of Labour's hands for the first time in 28 years, and Lancashire for the first time since 1989 - all to the Tories.With 32 of the 34 local authority results declared, the Conservatives had control of 28 councils, and had won an additional 230 seats and nine more councils, including Devon and Somerset from the Liberal Democrats, and the previously hung Wiltshire and Warwickshire.
Voters delivered a brutal verdict to Labour yesterday, as the party lost control of all its remaining English county councils in Thursday's voting.
Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire fell out of Labour's hands for the first time in 28 years, and Lancashire for the first time since 1989 - all to the Tories.
With 32 of the 34 local authority results declared, the Conservatives had control of 28 councils, and had won an additional 230 seats and nine more councils, including Devon and Somerset from the Liberal Democrats, and the previously hung Wiltshire and Warwickshire.
