London , England ( CNN ) -- British premier Gordon Brown 's offer to step down as part of a deal to entice the Liberal Democrats into a coalition government with Labour rather than David Cameron 's Conservatives provoked a mixed reaction in the UK press Tuesday . In a statement outside Downing Street Monday , Brown announced he would stand down as Labour leader in the autumn and allow a contest for his replacement to begin now . `` Gordon Brown at last wielded his great clunking fist yesterday that Tony Blair had predicted would halt the Conservative advance on Downing Street , '' declared The Times . `` After four days of watching a clumsy courtship between David Cameron and Nick Clegg , the Prime Minister timed his announcement to cause maximum trouble . '' UK parties look to resolve deadlock . It added that Brown knew his continued occupancy of Downing Street would be an impediment to any hope of Labour remaining in power and that `` over the weekend , even his closest allies had privately conceded that there was no real prospect of Brown remaining the Labour leader for long . '' `` Squat a mess , '' exclaimed The Sun -- an influential tabloid and stable-mate of the Times in the Rupert Murdoch-owned Newscorp empire -- which had switched its allegiance to David Cameron before the election . In a scathing attack , it claimed the `` squatter PM 's bombshell had plunged the country into deep political chaos -- with no new government now expected for days . '' The Daily Mail , considered the most right-wing of the major UK titles , described Brown 's offer to quit as `` a squalid day for democracy , '' and added that many of Labour 's old guard openly condemned the prospect of a `` shabby deal with the Liberal Democrats that would deny the keys of Downing Street to David Cameron . '' `` I believe it will lead to a lack of legitimacy , and I think the British people will feel that we have not heard what they said to us , '' former Home Secretary David Blunkett was quoted as saying . It added that Brown ally Peter Mandelson and Tony Blair 's former spin doctor Alistair Campbell were the architects of Labour 's `` audacious '' plan , and accused Nick Clegg and his Liberal Democrat party of `` double-dealing '' by meeting Labour figures over the weekend despite their formal dealings with the Conservatives . The Telegraph labeled Brown 's plan `` a very Labour coup '' that had outflanked Cameron as he prepared to enter Number 10 . It said Labour was attempting to `` exploit the Tories ' reluctance to offer the Lib Dems far-reaching voting reform . '' Labour offered to hold a referendum asking voters if they want a proportional representation voting system -- a key issue for the Liberal Democrats . The left-leaning Guardian said Brown 's `` last card '' had panicked the Conservatives into making an `` extraordinary '' counter-offer to the Lib Dems : a referendum on the alternative vote electoral system and a coalition government with seats for Nick Clegg 's party in the cabinet . This `` hurried Tory offer , previously seen as completely beyond the ideological pale for the party , was swallowed by shell-shocked Tory MPs , '' it said . `` For the greater Gord , '' was the effusive response from the Labour-supporting Mirror , as it painted a selfless picture of a prime minister who had `` fallen on his sword '' for the good of the country .
Gordon Brown announced he would stand down as Labour leader in the autumn . The Sun , Daily Mail scathing about Labour plan and Liberal Democrats ' `` double dealing '' Guardian , Telegraph said the announcement had caught out the Conservatives .