MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

PM Brown “all talents cabinet” coming to an end

Health minister Lord Darzi announced he was stepping down to focus on clinical work and academic research.

Gordon Brown has lost yet another member of his Government as Health Minister Lord Darzi announced he was quitting. The renowned surgeon became the latest minister to join the exodus as he revealed he was stepping down next week in order to focus on his clinical work and academic research.

Downing Street said he would retain an advisory capacity to the Government and take up a new role as its Health and Life Sciences Ambassador.

Lord Darzi was one of the so-called Goats - ministers appointed from outside politics to the Prime Minister's “Government of all the talents” in 2007.

All but one - Defence minister Lord West - have now left or announced they are leaving the Government.

Fellow Goats Lord Malloch-Brown, the Foreign Office minister, and Lord Carter, the Communications minister, are also to quit shortly. Their departures follow a string of resignations by ministers, including several from around the Cabinet table, which rocked Mr Brown's administration last month.

On joining the Government in summer 2007, Lord Darzi led a major review of the NHS, which reported in June last year. In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, he said he had spent the past year implementing its findings and paid tribute to Labour's support for the health service.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: “This was surely coming for a long time. Ara Darzi's laudable focus on quality was increasingly at odds with the Brownite fixation with targets and command and control.”

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: “Losing yet another minister will be a massive blow to Gordon Brown.

”As a respected doctor, Darzi led the initiative on the NHS for Labour and questions must be asked on whether there is more to his resignation than meets the eye. A short spell as a minister seems to be the new route into the House of Lords for New Labour supporters.