JAMES Purnell has claimed ‘very strong’ support in his constituency after his shock decision to quit the cabinet nearly toppled Gordon Brown.

The Stalybridge and Hyde MP stood down as work and pensions secretary on Thursday amid rumours of a Blairite plot against the prime minister.

In his resignation letter, he called on Mr Brown to step down so that Labour could win the next election. But key allies failed to follow suit and Mr Brown survived after telling Labour MPs on Monday he would ‘learn from his mistakes’.

Mr Purnell’s decision sparked outrage among some local party members. But he predicted there would be no moves by his constituency Labour party (CLP) to deselect him before the next election. And he revealed he had spoken to two senior members of the CLP to tell them what he was doing BEFORE he called Mr Brown.

Mr Purnell promised to be a more active constituency MP and said he had been inundated with messages of support.

"People have been stopping me in the street and shouting out of car windows," he said. "I have spoken to loads of people in the CLP and I have had very strong support. Some people have disagreed with what I did, but in a very good-natured way."

Mr Purnell said he had discussed with the prime minister ‘over the past few months’ the direction the government was taking.

But he did not tell him about his decision to quit until ‘a quarter to 10’ on Thursday night – when the news was already breaking. He did, however, tell the chairman and secretary of the CLP ‘just before’ he told Mr Brown.

"In an ideal world I would have had a party meeting but I wanted the news to come out after the polls closed," he added.

Mr Purnell said he was proud of what a Labour government had achieved for Stalybridge and Hyde – and said he intended to refocus on being an active local MP.

"I will be supporting the government but most of all I will be working hard in my constituency," he said. "That can get a bit lost in cabinet and I am looking forward to seeing people face-to-face, and having coffee mornings and roving surgeries. There are some big things that I want to do, like seeing through the Mottram-Tintwistle by-pass, reducing over-crowding on trains, getting more of my constituents to university, and regenerating Hyde town centre."

Mr Purnell’s decision to stand down followed hot on the heels of similar moves by Hazel Blears, the former communities secretary, and Home secretary Jacqui Smith. That sparked rumours of a coup –– but Mr Purnell said he had not discussed his plans with other colleagues.

"It was not a plot," he said. "I was saying what I had to say to be true to myself."

Mr Purnell said other senior ‘Blairites’ who did not follow his lead – including David Miliband and Andy Burnham – retained his ‘full support’.

"I am not saying they did the wrong thing," he said.

"I completely respect colleagues who took a different view – people with similar values and commitment to the Labour party. I do not regret saying what I said, but I also intend to be loyal from the backbenches. I am not going to become a public critic about what the government has done wrong."