Less than a week before he becomes Prime Minister, Gordon Brown faced a Labour backlash last night after the former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Ashdown of of Norton-sub-Hamdon disclosed that he had been offered a post in the next prime minister's new Cabinet. Labour leftwingers attacked the prospect of a Liberal Democrat being given a job at the heart of the Labour government, describing it as a "serious misjudgement".

Loyalists also conceded privately that such a move would be unpopular among activists and confuse the voters, although they insisted that Mr Brown's honeymoon with the party would continue.

Lord Ashdown confirmed yesterday that he had been offered a cabinet post by Mr Brown on Wednesday, said by sources to be as Northern Ireland Secretary. He insisted that he immediately turned the offer down.

He told the BBC: "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. You do not build partnership government by seeking to add the Liberal Democrats as a bungalow annexe to a Labour Government."

Alan Johnson, the Secretary of State for Education and the frontrunner in the race for the deputy leadership, openly ridiculed the idea yesterday of a Liberal Democrat being given a seat in the Cabinet.

He told the BBC: "I think the Liberal Democrats in their previous guise as Liberals haven't had a seat around the Cabinet table for 100 years. It will probably be at least 100 years before they do again."

He insisted: "They are not interested in coalition government, which is a happy coincidence because neither are we." He praised Lord Ashdown's work as the international community's senior administrator in Bosnia, arguing "whether there is a specific job for him to do on behalf of the Government is another matter".

Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary and another deputy leadership candidate, was putting on a brave face after his job was offered to a member of a rival party. One friend said he had always expected to be moved in the coming reshuffle. But some MPs interpreted Mr Brown's move as a snub to Mr Hain, who is regarded with suspicion by the Chancellor's allies.

James Purnell, the Pensions minister, defended Mr Brown's initiative. He insisted that the next prime minister had made a genuine job offer because he believed in a "new kind of politics". He said voters wanted Mr Brown to be open to new ideas, adding: "It would be very odd to say that we're not going to look at those ideas, we're not going to use your talent - just because you happen to have a different party political label."

But one leadership loyalist said: "This will completely confuse our voters not least because there are fundamental differences between us and the Liberals."

The Labour MP for Nottingham South, Alan Simpson, said Labour MPs and members would be horrified if Lord Ashdown became a member of a Labour government.

He said: "The party would be livid if this happened. We need a Lab-Lab pact not a Lib Lab pact. Brown ought to make overtures towards the bulk of the Labour Party which is to the left of New Labour. The truth is that is where most of the electorate is to be found these days."

The former defence minister Peter Kilfoyle warned: "In the Parliamentary Labour Party this will be seen as a snub to many people who have hoped there would be a change of direction.

"I'm very concerned about this. I'm a Labour party person and I want nothing to do with the Lib Dems. They are our opponents in the North of England and we don't have any ideological common ground with them."

In the Commons, Gordon Prentice, the Labour MP for Pendle, challenged Jack Straw, the leader of the Commons and Mr Brown's campaign manager. He asked: "You famously described the Liberal Democrats as the scavengers of British politics. Can you give me an assurance that if Liberal Democrats or members of other political parties are brought in to a Brown cabinet there would be a statement to the House beforehand?"

Mr Straw replied: "But we are a very broad church in the Labour Party. We always are open either to sinners or scavengers who repent."

Conservative MPs said rumours that Mr Brown had been in touch with figures in their party were the talk of the Commons tea room. But senior party sources insisted they knew of no contacts between Tory MPs and the Brown camp.

They insisted that Mr Brown's cross-party overtures had exploded in his face. William Hague, the shadow Foreign Secretary, said: "There is nothing wrong trying to reach agreement across politics. I think this was a rather naive and bungled attempt to do so."

Talent spotting

A series of senior Liberal Democrats are believed to have been considered by Mr Brown in his attempts to construct a "government of all the talents".

Top of his list was Lord Ashdown, the Lib Dem leader from 1988 to 1999, who went on to be an international statesman. He was recently asked to head a review of parades in Ulster, and was reportedly offered the job of Northern Ireland Secretary.

Westminster sources have also speculated that roles were considered for:

* Lord Carlile of Berriew, a barrister and former Lib Dem MP who is now the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation. He could have been appointed Attorney General.

* Lord Lester of Herne Hill, a human rights lawyer and critic of anti-terror legislation, may have been considered for a role in the new Ministry of Justice.

* Baroness Neuberger, the well-known rabbi and former chairman of an NHS trust, could have become a health minister.

* Lord Maclennan of Rogart, a former Labour Minister before he detected to the SDP, might also have been wooed by Mr Brown.

source : the independant