11 May,2010 07:14 AM IST | | Agencies
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday sacrificed himself in a last-ditch attempt to keep Labour in power.
In a dramatic statement on the steps of Downing Street, the PM announced he was standing down as Labour leader and calling on the party to launch a leadership election. The extraordinary move was a desperate attempt by Labour to block a coalition deal between the Tories and the Lib Dems, which just hours ago looked imminent.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg appeared to have asked foru00a0 Brown's head in return for the possibility of a Lib-Lab pact after his own MPs made clear they were still wary about joining forces with the Tories.
Clegg, who seems poised to turn against Cameron after four days of amiable talks, hailed Brown's announcement as an 'important element' in the 'smooth transition' to a stable government.u00a0
"I think he's taken it (the decision to quit) in the national interest,"u00a0 added Clegg.
