Murdoch leaves PM swinging in wind

The Sun has stopped shining on Gordon Brown. That was probably the most significant factor to emerge from the press conference in Downing Street yesterday when Brown announced that he was proposing an end to the expenses gravy train.

The paper's normally friendly political editor, George Pascoe-Watson, angered the Prime Minister by pushing the Sun campaign for an immediate general election in his face.

The Brown camp have now written off all hope of gaining the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid's support at the next general election. The fact that David Cameron was on Murdoch's Sky News within minutes of the press conference, demanding an immediate election, confirmed Brown's worst fears.

The PM is now planning a fight-back with radical surgery on the rotten parts of his Cabinet. Out will go Hazel Blears. Brown could barely contain his anger with his Communities Secretary for dodging £13,000 capital gains tax on the sale of her London flat. Even though she has since been flashing a cheque for that amount made out to the taxman, Brown has continued to describe her behaviour as "unacceptable".

Jacqui Smith, whose grotesque expenses claims - including her husband's porn movies bill - started this scandal, can also begin packing her bags at the Home Office.

Last night Brown e-mailed Labour Party members to say that it would not be enough for MPs simply to pay back the money gained from abusing the expenses system. "I know that people are angry about MPs' expenses," he wrote. "I know that you are working hard, on the doorsteps and the phones, to put Labour's message across... So I want to apologise to you on behalf of all politicians for this."

Brown went on: "Every day dominated by newspaper stories about expenses is a day lost to talking about the work we are doing to help people with their jobs, their homes and their family. Repayment will not necessarily be enough, which is why the NEC agreed today that wrongdoing will be investigated and dealt with by the party."

As Health Secretary Alan Johnson receives growing support to take over the leadership before the general election, the countdown for Gordon's last stand has already started. The renewed calls for him to quit will start on June 5, the day after Labour gets wiped out in the county elections. The results of the European elections will not be announced until the whole of Europe has voted on Sunday, June 7. Then the skids will really be under him.

The only way Brown can hang on is by dumping others, so he is planning his Cabinet clear-out for early the following week.

As for Rupert Murdoch, he goes where the power lies. Brown will be left swinging in the wind. ·