Crawley MP backs Brown and vows to fight election

TOWN MP Laura Moffatt has backed Gordon Brown and vowed to fight this year's General Election.

Mrs Moffatt has criticised two colleagues after a "silly" attempt to topple Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Former cabinet ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt called for Labour MPs to vote on who should lead the party to this year's election, prompting criticism from the Crawley MP.

Mrs Moffatt, who holds a slender majority of just 37, has confirmed to the News that she will fight to defend the seat she first won in 1997

Many Labour MPs reacted angrily to last week's attempted coup against Mr Brown and the rebels were forced to abandon plans for a leadership ballot.

Mrs Moffatt said: "These are two people I respected in their former positions but I felt their actions were poorly judged.

"I can't imagine what they thought they were doing."

Mrs Moffatt said the rebels ignored "fantastic" local party members around the country by asking only MPs to vote on Mr Brown's future.

She said: "I just thought it was ill-timed, stupid and didn't take account of the membership view.

"I have not had the sense that our local party members want to see the Prime Minister removed."

She added: "The Prime Minister has been knocking spots off David Cameron during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

"Without the action he took on the economy, we would be in a worse situation than we are now and I know the opposition wouldn't have taken that action.

"I am supporting him wholeheartedly."

Mrs Moffatt confirmed she will run for re-election in Crawley later this year, when she will face Conservative candidate Henry Smith, currently leader of West Sussex County Council.

Mrs Moffatt said: "I'm going to leave it to the electorate to decide whether I do this job or not.

"I didn't want to appear a coward and walk away just because it will be a difficult election."

Mrs Moffatt says the key issue of her campaign would be improving the quality of social care for elderly and disabled people.