UK PM fights off challenge

In the UK, two former Labour Cabinet members, Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt, sent a letter to fellow Labour lawmakers Wednesday, calling for a secret ballot on Brown's leadership.

The letter says that grumbling about Brown's performance is dividing the party at the worst possible time. Labour officials and Brown allies moved quickly to quash the rebellion.

The prime minister's office downplayed the letter, saying Brown is "relaxed and getting on with his job".

Brown's supporters claim a leadership vote would dash the party's hopes of an election win, which is set to be held by June. Several British Cabinet ministers have declared their support for the prime minister.

Ed Milliband, Energy & Climate Change Sec., said, "I profoundly disagree with what they've done, and I think the vast majority of Labour backbenchers, some of whom I was speaking to at a vote in the House of Commons, share that view. We have a leader, we elected him and the business now is to get on with making the arguments that we need to make for the general election about the future of the country."

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown is seen in this image taken from TV as he speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London Wednesday Jan. 6, 2010. (AP Photo/PA)