British PM sacks Cyprus envoy

THE BRITISH High Commission in Nicosia said yesterday it was too early to say who might replace sacked Labour Vice Chairman Joan Ryan as Britain’s special representative to Cyprus.

Ryan was fired by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the weekend when she and another MP were accused of urging senior Labour Party members to stand against Brown during next weekend’s party conference.

She said Brown’s future as leader was being discussed privately at all levels of the party and it was time for a leadership election.

“I want a leadership election, I want a choice of candidates, I want to have a debate,” she told BBC radio.

“We need to have this debate about the direction and leadership of our country out in the open now. It is happening at all levels of the party and it should be happening in a more open and honest way.”

Brown, who took over from Tony Blair last year and does not have to hold a national election until May 2010, is trying to re-launch his premiership after months of speculation about his fate following a series of crushing local election defeat, Reuters said.

Brown’s opponents within Labour say their party has no chance of winning the election if he stays as leader. After 11 years in power, Labour lags the opposition Conservatives in opinion polls by about 20 points, it added.

Ryan was appointed envoy for Cyprus last year. It is not known yet who might replace her even though the Cyprus talks got under way on September 3.

“It’s too soon comment on that,” said a spokesman for the British High Commission. ‘It’s a partly political issue primarily.”