1976: Government crisis as Stonehouse quits

The controversial MP and former Cabinet Minister John Stonehouse has resigned from the Labour Party, leaving the government in a minority of one.

In his resignation letter, he launched a scathing attack on the government, saying it was "dangerous and unrealistic" for Labour to continue in power without an immediate general election.

"The country cannot afford a government whose main concern is surviving from week to week," he said.

His resignation leaves Prime Minister James Callaghan, who has been in power for just two days, with 315 MPs to the opposition parties' 316.

Arrest

The MP is accused of faking his own death in a bizarre series of events which began with his apparent drowning off a beach in Miami in November 1974.

He was arrested while living under a false name in Melbourne, Australia, five weeks later.

He faces 18 charges of theft, forgery, attempted insurance frauds and conspiracy involving more than �170,000. His secretary, Sheila Buckley, also faces various charges of theft and conspiracy.

In his resignation letter, he accused his constituency, Walsall North, of prejudging him by discussing his political future ahead of his trial at the Old Bailey in three weeks' time.

Party vote

A meeting of the Labour Party management committee in Walsall North last month voted 47-1 to ask Mr Stonehouse to resign.

When he refused, he was told he would not be re-selected as the official Labour candidate at the next general election.

Mr Stonehouse will now act as an independent, ending 19 years as a Labour MP.

The development could cause serious problems for the government's legislative timetable, possibly delaying proposed bills on nationalising the aircraft and shipbuilding industries and extending the dock labour scheme.

The immediate argument, however, was over the number of MPs allowed to sit on committees.

Both the Conservative Chief Whip, Humphrey Atkins, and the Liberal Chief Whip, Alan Beith, are calling for committees to have a majority of members from the opposition parties, to reflect the new balance of power in the House of Commons.

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