Trouble at the top - a recap of political plots and coups
Nigel Farage has apparently seen off a challenge to his leadership of UKIP - a move described by his former election strategist as a "coup".
By Pippa SimmPolitical reporter, BBC News He's not the only party leader to face an attempted ousting. But can you recover from such a revolt? Tony Blair: the 'curry house' plot In 2006, the Labour prime minister was the target of what became known as the "curry house conspiracy" - a coup to remove him and install his chancellor, Gordon Brown, as prime minister. It would lead to several of the plotters' resignations - but not Mr Blair's. However, it was successful to a degree in that it forced the party leader into naming a departure date. The move against him was reportedly masterminded by Tom Watson, a defence minister at the time, who was also rumoured to have had a secret meeting with Mr Brown on the eve of the revolt. Apparently, Mr Watson and three fellow West Midlands MPs - Sion Simon, David Wright (both ministerial aides) and Khalid Mahmood - met over a biryani at a Wolverhampton curry house to discuss the PM's future, before dispatching a missive calling for him to quit. The letter - which attracted the support of a number of normally loyal Labour MPs - was leaked to the press, and ultimately resulted in Mr Watson's resignation. In his parting letter, the West Bromwich East MP took a shot at the prime minister, who he said should step down in the interests of party and country. Mr Blair denounced his actions and branded the former minister "disloyal, discourteous and wrong", saying he would have sacked him if he had not resigned. But Mr Watson's departure was swiftly followed by the resignations of six other junior members of government - who had also signed the rebel letter - in protest at the prime minister's refusal to say when he would step down as Labour leader. The whole affair resulted in Mr Blair announcing his intention to step aside within 12 months - which he duly did, on 27 June 2007. But it did nothing to quash internal dissent and speculation in the party over the future leadership of the party. Gordon Brown: double trouble Labour prime minister Gordon Brown found his leadership under threat in 2009 after one of his cabinet ministers dramatically quit the government and called for him to resign. Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell - a former aide to Tony Blair - resigned from his post after the polls closed in the local and European elections, in which Labour was forecast to do badly. Explaining his decision to quit, Mr Purnell said the prime minister made a Conservative victory "more, not less, likely". It was Mr Brown's first direct challenge from a cabinet minister - but it would not topple the Labour leader as senior members of government refused to follow Mr Purnell's lead. Mr Brown was safe for the time being. But several months later, in January 2010, a fresh leadership challenge was mounted by two senior former Labour cabinet ministers. Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt wrote to all Labour MPs, saying the party was "deeply divided" over Mr Brown's leadership and that the best way to resolve the issue was by way of secret ballot. They insisted it was not an "attempted coup" but a necessary step to resolve divisions within the party. But the duo could only muster the public support of a handful of backbenchers long-opposed to Mr Brown, with the majority of the party's MPs less than impressed by the move, which came just weeks before the general election. As the day wore on, a succession of cabinet ministers came out to back the PM, suggesting there was little momentum behind the plot - although it was noted that several were not exactly gushing in their support of Mr Brown. As history tells us, neither leadership challenge bore fruit but they reflected the internal doubts and divisions over Mr Brown at the helm. Nick Clegg: private polling As leadership toppling attempts go, this one in 2014 was regarded as a particularly "botched" and "shambolic coup". Indeed, former Lib Dem leader Lord (Paddy) Ashdown described the move as a "plot of deep malice". Its instigator, Lord (Matthew) Oakeshott - a close ally of the-then Business Secretary Vince Cable - tried to unseat Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg. The peer was found to have commissioned secret polls suggesting the party would do better at the 2015 general election without Mr Clegg in the driving seat. The man Lord Oakeshott had long had in mind to take Mr Clegg's place - Mr Cable, who was on government business in China at the time - was forced to publicly condemn his friend's actions and state his backing for Mr Clegg. But Lord Oakeshott said the business secretary had in fact known about his polls and their findings. Nevertheless, the peer - who was denounced by the Lib Dem leadership for spending money that could have been spent on campaigning - quit the party, and issued a warning shot on his way out about the Lib Dems' future prospects. Mr Cable largely emerged unscathed but he faced questions about his loyalty to the leader. Although the two sought to put paid to reports of a rift with a (painfully awkward, 'nothing to see here, folks') stage-managed pint in a pub. Although the revolt failed, and Mr Clegg remained at the helm, the Lib Dems did go on to suffer a trouncing at the general election, losing nearly 50 of its MPs - one of them, Mr Cable himself - prompting his leader to quit. John Major: 'put up or shut up' The Conservatives have a reputation for being more ruthless than their party rivals when it comes to getting rid of leaders they sense are no longer effectual. But, in 1995, Prime Minister John Major - tired of persistent rumours of a leadership challenge - decided to take the bull by the horns and trigger a surprise leadership election to silence his detractors. His own backbenchers had questioned Mr Major's ability to unite and lead the party, which was deeply divided over Europe. So "put up or shut up", he told them as he tendered his resignation as Conservative Party leader but not prime minister. But then stepped forward eurosceptic MP John Redwood, who resigned from the cabinet in order to contest Mr Major's leadership. This was unexpected by many, as the PM had said there had been assurances from his cabinet that none would stand against him. But Mr Major went on to win the ensuing election with a comfortable defeat over his challenger, who was not included in the PM's consequent cabinet reshuffle. No further contested leadership election took place until after the Conservatives' defeat at the 1997 general election, paving the way for William Hague to take over the running of the party. Margaret Thatcher: a leader toppled Not all attempts to oust a party leader end in failure: as Margaret Thatcher found out to her peril. With three electoral victories under her belt, the Conservative prime minister's downfall would come at the hands of her own party - not the voters. It was on 1 November 1990 when Geoffrey (now Lord) Howe - one of Mrs Thatcher's longest-serving ministers - resigned over differences with the party leader over Europe. In his now infamous speech on the floor of the House of Commons, he attacked the PM's policies and leadership style, comparing being one of her cabinet ministers to opening the batting at cricket only to find his bat had been "broken... by the team captain". It sparked the beginning of the end of the 11-year Thatcher reign. Michael (now Lord) Heseltine seized on the opportunity to challenge the prime minister in the ensuing leadership contest, from which she would eventually withdraw and John Major emerge as her successor. Reflecting on the revolt and its implications on the Conservative Party, Baroness Thatcher's biographer Charles Moore wrote: "Because the coup was unjustified, and so trust broke down, the politics of the next 15 years were those of civil war."