Now that the debate over health care reform is beginning to heat up, expect to hear a loudening
chorus of voices insisting that the key to the future health of Americans is more research funding for the National Institutes of Health.
Brown's closest ministerial ally, Ed Balls, said the email was a «damp squib» by a few disgruntled MPs and
insisted that the cabinet was «absolutely united» behind Brown.But the number
of cabinet
voices emerging in support
of Brown did not begin to rise to a
chorus until early evening, among them two
of the ministers tipped as possible successors to Brown — the home secretary, Alan Johnson, and the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, who said today's call by rebels would be seen as a «temporary distraction» from the job
of fighting the Conservatives and laying out future plans for the country.