Gordon Brown's labour government, already rocked by disastrous local election results, ministerial resignations, backbench plotting and persistent undermining of the prime minister's authority, could disintegrate further when European election results are announced on the evening of June 7.

Labour is braced for another heavy setback according to some party sources who indicated that they could come as low as fourth, behind the UK Independence Party.
The June 7 results follow on from last Thursday's local election results which were a disaster for Labour. With results in from all 34 councils which held elections, the Tories had gained 233 councillors, and control of seven more councils while Labour lost 273 seats and control of four councils.

Commentators agree that a strong showing for fringe parties, particularly the British National Party (BNP), in the European elections would be a source of particular embarrassment for Brown's beleagured government. The BNP has predicted, based on voting patterns in the local elections, that it should secure at least one MEP and possibly two in the north-west - where its chairman Nick Griffin is standing - and could even make gains in the East and West Midlands. The north-west has always been a fertile area for the BNP.

Meanwhile, Alan Johnson, seen by many as a likely successor to Brown, and now the new home secretary (a post viewed as a poisoned chalice bearing in mind the swift turnover of occupants) has issued a half-hearted endorsement of Brown's premiership. "I think it would be wrong to challenge Gordon," he says. "He is the best man for the job, but I'm not saying there are no circumstances that I wouldn't be a candidate for the leadership."

Johnson also called for the reinstatement of former work and pension secretary James Purnell, saying he was "too talented" to be excluded from the cabinet.  Purnell resigned from the cabinet last week and demanded Brown's resignation. In an interview for the New Statesman magazine to be published on Thursday, Johnson said Purnell had been "discourteous" and had been wrong, but added: "I think he's a tremendous talent that we've lost from government and it's such a waste that he's gone to the backbenches."

Meanwhile, sniping at Brown has continued afresh. Emails sent last year by (Lord) Peter Mandelson, written before he returned to the cabinet as secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, reveal that he thought Brown was "insecure", "self-conscious" and lacked a natural touch with voters.