Gordon Brown should quit as Prime Minister within months if he cannot turn around the electoral disaster facing Labour, former home secretary Charles Clarke said today.

Mr Clarke became the first Labour heavyweight to openly propose that Mr Brown should go “with honour” unless there is a dramatic change in the party’s fortunes in the polls and the Government’s approach to Britain’s economic difficulties.

“There are many, many, many people now who are very concerned about our direction and our capacity to win the next general election,” he said.

Mr Clarke said there were two “perfectly honourable” ways forward for Mr Brown and Labour.

He said: “The first is for the performance of the Government to improve signif- icantly, which is what many, many people would like to see.

“Second is for Gordon Brown to stand down as Prime Minister with honour and have a proper leadership election to address the proper issues.”

Asked how long the Labour leader had to turn things around, the former cabinet minister replied: “I think it’s a question of months, really. It’s a question of seeing how it works forward and whether he can deal with the situation.

“I am personally a sceptic – I always have been – but I also believe it is entirely possible that he could turn it around. What I think many people will want to see very soon is clarity about his actually doing that.”

Mr Clarke said it was “better for the country and the party” if Mr Brown made his own mind up.

If that did not happen, it would be principally down to the cabinet to decide how to proceed.

l Pledge – See Page 11