Miliband plays down rumours that he is set to stand against Brown

THE front-runner to succeed Gordon Brown if he is forced out by Labour MPs yesterday insisted that he was not interested in the Prime Minister's job.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, described reports that he was prepared to stand for party leader in the event of a revolt against Mr Brown as "fiction". He said: "I'm not in the market for any job other than the one I have got at the moment."

Mr Miliband, who chose not to enter last year's race to succeed Tony Blair, allowing Mr Brown to be elected unopposed, said Mr Brown remained the "right man for the job".

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But he admitted that the Conservatives were in a strong position, while a Cabinet colleague described the Tory leader, David Cameron, as the most "formidable" opponent Labour had faced in recent years.

Mr Miliband said that the party still had "all to play for" at the next general election, despite the Crewe and Nantwich by-election defeat, last month's woeful local election results and poor opinion poll ratings.

Mr Miliband said: "It is a test of our character. It is a test of our policies. It is a test of our vision.

"We have got to pull together to ensure we can meet that test."

His intervention will come as a relief to Downing Street as it will help to dampen continued speculation about a challenge to Mr Brown.

There were reports yesterday that up to 40 backbench MPs were ready to back an attempt to overthrow the Prime Minister to avert looming electoral defeat.

Under Labour party rules, 71 of the party's 351 MPs would have to back a move to force a leadership vote at the party's autumn conference.

No "big hitter" has yet broken ranks, but this could change if Mr Brown's authority is further undermined by a defeat next month on the Counter Terrorism Bill – which proposes to increase the amount of time terror suspects can be held without charge from 28 to 42 days – and if he fails to impress at next week's meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

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Labour backbencher Graham Stringer, a regular critic of Mr Brown, yesterday called for a Cabinet minister to come forward. He warned the electorate was ready to start "divorce proceedings" against Labour.

But one of the other front- runners to succeed Mr Brown, Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, also made clear he had no interest in the job – or that of Deputy Prime Minister, which Mr Brown is being encouraged to reinstate. Asked whether there were any circumstances in which he would be prepared to lead Labour into the next general election, Mr Johnson said: "None whatsoever… absolutely none."

He added: "There is absolutely no appetite, I believe, in the party to change the leader." He described Mr Brown as a "towering figure". But he conceded the party was going through "some really rocky times" against a reinvigorated Tory opposition. "We have never faced as formidable an opponent as Cameron," he said.

John Prescott, who spent a decade as Deputy Prime Minister under Mr Blair, said he did not believe "for one moment" that Mr Brown should step aside. "No I don't," he said. "It's nonsense."

Mr Prescott said a leadership challenge would be "deadly" for Labour. "Gordon Brown is the best man to deal with 'the economy, stupid'," he said. "He knows what needs to be done. It is still the economy."

Asked about Mr Brown's serious demeanour, he compared the situation to flying on a plane. "When you get on an aeroplane (do] you go and look in the cockpit, see if the pilot's smiling or do you just hope there's a pilot there who's going to fly the plane and land successfully?" he said.

WHO'S WHO

DAVID MILIBAND: Blairite Foreign Secretary, 42, and bookies' favourite to be next Labour leader. Regarded by critics as a "policy wonk" and a "mekon".

ALAN JOHNSON: Health Secretary, 58, with common touch, having been postman. "John Major" figure able to unite party factions.

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ED BALLS: Began working for Gordon Brown in 1994. Harvard scholar and former newspaper leader writer. Children's Secretary, 41, and PM's most trusted Cabinet aide.

JACK STRAW: Former home and foreign secretary. Now Justice Secretary and, at 61, the Cabinet's elder statesman, having served since 1997.

JON CRUDDAS: Straight talker representing tough east London constituency of Dagenham. Aged 46, won respect in attempt to become deputy Labour leader.

JAMES PURNELL: 38-year-old ultra-Blairite Work and Pensions Secretary nicknamed the "Sideburned Schmoozer".