Britain's Home Secretary to back Brown

British Home Secretary John Reid ended months of speculation yesterday when he declared his support for Gordon Brown to be the next Prime Minister and said he would be leaving his job at the end of June.

Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to announce the timetable for his departure this week after 10 years in power, triggering a leadership contest that chancellor of the Exchequer Brown is widely expected to easily win.

Mr Reid, a seasoned and heavyweight politician, had until yesterday left open the possibility of also going for the top job.

"Whatever the pros and cons of a contest for the leadership, there is not an eagerness in the Labour Party for that," Mr Reid told the BBC's The Politics Show. "Therefore I have decided not to put myself forward as a candidate for the leadership."

His decision follows the announcement last week by former Home Secretary Charles Clarke, another potential big name contender, that he would not stand against Mr Brown because the party had no stomach for an internal fight.

Mr Reid's decision leaves Mr Brown with a virtually clear run at the premiership and between two and three years until the next general election.

But he inherits a party sinking in the polls over the Iraq war, failure to deliver on promised public service renewal and beset by sleaze scandals, the latest of which over the suspected sale of honours went all the way to Mr Blair's office.

Added to those headaches Mr Brown faces the possible break-up of the United Kingdom after Scottish elections last week toppled Labour from power after half a century and made a pro-independence party the biggest north of the border.

Mr Reid said he would vote for Mr Brown as leader and then leave the Cabinet to return to the back benches.

"I intend to stand down from the Cabinet towards the end of June when Tony goes. That is a natural break period," he said, promising support for Mr Brown.

Mr Reid, 60, whose ministries have included Northern Ireland, Health and Defence, famously declared the Home Office "not fit for purpose" soon after he took over last year during a row over the failure to deport freed foreign prisoners.

The sprawling ministry, which covers everything from immigration to the courts and the security services, is soon to be split into two with the creation of a Ministry of Justice and a Ministry of Security.

Mr Brown is now likely to face only one of two left wing challengers - former environment minister Michael Meacher and John McDonnell.

Mr Meacher told Reuters on Saturday he intended to stand, but that he and Mr McDonnell would decide next week which of them would actually stand so as not to divide the left-wing vote.

In a letter to Mr Reid accepting his resignation, Mr Blair praised his political skills and said he would be a loss to the country.

"You have been an immense figure in the government over this past decade, fulfilling a number of crucial positions at vital moments, with distinction," Mr Blair wrote.