Alan Johnson says Brown right man for job

The minister tipped as a possible successor to Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday that Brown was the best man for the job, despite a wave of government resignations that have shaken his government.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson, a former postman and union leader, praised Brown's "courage" and "tenacity" in the face of tough questioning by opposition politicians in parliament earlier on Wednesday.

"He is doing the job, he is doing it under difficult circumstances," Johnson said. "There is absolutely no one that could do that job better."

Asked by a TV reporter if he could do a better job as prime minister than Brown, Johnson replied "No" before walking off.

The resignation of two Cabinet ministers has reignited speculation over Brown's future as prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, trailing by up to 20 points before a parliamentary election due within a year.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears announced their decision to quit before local and European elections on Thursday.

Both were caught up in a scandal over MPs' expenses claims for things like plasma screen televisions, bathplugs and home loan repayments.

Voters have reacted with fury to weeks of disclosures about the use of taxpayers' money. All three main political parties have lost public support in the opinion polls.

Johnson was narrowly beaten for the post of Labour Party deputy leader by Harriet Harman in a vote in June 2007.A former supermarket shelf-stacker, Johnson is seen as an affable, down-to-earth figure who could help Labour reconnect with its traditional working class supporters.