Former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown has claimed that prime minister-in waiting Gordon Brown offered him a cabinet role.

The peer, who according to speculation came close in 1997 to joining the first cabinet of outgoing Labour premier Tony Blair, made the startling revelation to the Today programme.

Lord Ashdown's claim comes after the current Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell dismissed reports that Mr Brown might select one or two senior politicians from the opposition party for inclusion in his first government.

He told Today that the offer had been made by the chancellor after Sir Menzies rebutted the Guardian newspaper report on Wednesday.

But Lord Ashdown stressed that he would not consider such a role.

"It is true that Mr Brown suggested... that I might take a position in the cabinet," he revealed.

"I told him that I could not conceivably consider such a position unless my leader told me that he thought it was a good idea and even if he did, I didn't," he added.

Meanwhile Mr Brown has stressed that his priority as Britain's new prime minister will be to ensure that the country achieves a "world class" education system.

In his final speech to City bosses in his role as chancellor, Mr Brown warned that investment in education was necessary to ensure the UK could meet the challenge of globalisation and prevent a decent into protectionism.

Addressing business leaders at Mansion House, he stressed that ten per cent of the country's national wealth should be spent on education in order to help the nation keep up with its global competitors and called for a national debate about what should be done to boost performance in schools.

"I believe it is time for all of us, and particularly businesses who recruit skilled people, to usher in a national debate on how we, Britain, can move to becoming world class in education," said Mr Brown.

The chancellor, who takes over from Mr Blair as prime minister on June 27th, also unveiled plans to create a new National Council for Educational Excellence to consider reforms such as how private and state schools can collaborate.

from : inthenews.co.uk