Labour rebels ‘not the bravest people in the world’

Just spoken to two leading rebels and they are sounding less than confident they will get their prey tonight.

The Parliamentary Labour Party meeting at 6pm is chaired by Tony Lloyd, the Manchester MP who is chair of the PLP and is standing by Gordon Brown.

One rebel said he expected Mr Lloyd to call mainly loyalists, and then “call a sprinkling of our people” – he will “call the most inarticulate” rebels who will “put the case appallingly.” Another leading rebel said:

“We’re not the bravest people in the world are we?” – that, after a weekend of talking to colleagues and trying to get them to join in the rebellion. There is no plan to publish the letter that calls on Gordon Brown to go, and that’s because it doesn’t have 50 signatures yet.