James Purnell, the work and pensions secretary, has resigned from the cabinet and has told Prime Minister Gordon Brown to 'stand aside'.
In a letter to the Sun and the Times, Purnell said he did not want to be leader but was seeking to trigger a debate on who should lead the Labour Party. He said if Brown continued as leader, a Conservative victory would be 'more' rather than 'less' likely. Purnell had been implicated in the MPs' expenses scandal as it was revealed he avoided paying CGT on the sale of his second home. He also used taxpayers' money to consult an accountant. The news of Purnell's departure will be a blow for the pensions industry as he has only been secretary since January 2008, when he replaced Peter Hai...
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