Former pension minister Purnell to leave Parliament

Purnell quit as work and pensions secretary in June 2009, after less than 18 months in the role. He attempted to start a leadership contest within the Labour Party, after writing a letter to The Times claiming the party was less likely to win a General Election with Gordon Brown in charge. At the time of the attempted coup, Purnell was already the subject of criticism for claiming tax advice on expenses, which enabled him to avoid paying capital gains tax on the sale of his second home. When he became work and pensions secretary in January 2008, the pensions industry was outraged a...