Final PLP warning to Gordon Brown

Disgruntled Labour MPs are threatening to use tonight's final Parliamentary Labour Party meeting before they pack their bags tomorrow for the summer recess to give a final warning to Gordon Brown that he has lost the confidence of many of his own backbenchers.

They are furious about his use of the so-called Labour 'Star Chamber Court' to make scapegoats of MPs accused of breaking the rules over their expenses, including David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Ian Gibson, whose resignation has led to Brown facing a humiliating defeat in Thursday's by-election in Norwich North.

There are dark rumblings among the malcontents that there could be more by-elections after Thursday's expected defeat - unless Brown makes it clear that the arbitrary justice meted out to Gibson will not be repeated, and that the other accused will have a fair chance to clear their names.

They are particularly annoyed at a letter from one of the Commons investigators who has written to MPs warning them that they should not think that they are beyond questioning just because they are on their holidays. They have been told to keep an eye on their e-mail inboxes at Parliament to answer any further questions from The Inquisition.

"We are clearly going to lose Thursday's by-election because of Brown, and there could be more if this goes on," one angry Labour MP told the Mole today. His message was simple: don't be surprised if more MPs charged with breaking the rules by Brown's Star Chamber Court don't follow Ian Gibson and call a by-election after the summer recess.

The last PLP meeting before the summer recess is usually used by the party leaders as a morale-booster to send their troops off in good heart before the long summer break. Morale is too low for that, with many backbenchers still making noises about using the party conference in October to push Brown out.

With David Miliband having had two chances and fluffed them both, the Blairites are now putting their money on James Purnell.

Of course there's little prospect of the stubborn Scot standing down. "But what if it could be proved that there were irregularities in his expenses claims?" said one critic of Brown darkly. "He would have to go."

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