The minister who quit Government - twice ; He's the West Midlands MP who resigned as a Government Minister twice - and helped cause a leadership crisis for both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. But Tom Watson tells political editor Jonathan Walker that he still supports Mr Brown and regrets any damage he caused to the Labour Party.

Summary

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Tom Watson isn't just a strong supporter of the Prime Minister. He's also a personal friend.

But Mr Watson, the MP for West Bromwich East, inadvertently fuelled the leadership crisis which threatened Gordon Brown's survival earlier this month.

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Extract

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The minister who quit Government - twice ; He's the West Midlands MP who resigned as a Government Minister twice - and helped cause a leadership crisis for both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. But Tom Watson tells political editor Jonathan Walker that he still supports Mr Brown and regrets any damage he caused to the Labour Party.

When a string of ministers resigned from the Government, in an apparent show of no-confidence in Mr Brown, Mr Watson was the second to go.

News that he was leaving his job as a Cabinet Office minister broke just a few hours after it was confirmed that Jacqui Smith, the MP for ...

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