In a dramatic development, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that he will step aside as leader of the Labour party and offered to help forge an alliance with the Liberal Democrats to form a progressive government after the May 6 hung verdict. The Liberal Democrats party has been having intense negotiations with the Conservative party for the last 4 days, but it has now been revealed that it has also been exploring possibilities with the Labour party, with whom the party is ideologically closer than with the Conservatives.With Mr. Brown no longer leader of the Labour party, the process has been set in motion to elect a new leader of the party who may lead a potential Labour-Liberal Democrats government. Among the contenders to take over as the next leader of the Labour party are David Miliband, Harriet Harman, and Ed Balls. Mr. Brown’s dramatic announcement that he is stepping down as leader indicates that the talks between theConservatives and Liberal Democrats were not progressing as well as was being stated. Mr. Brown was seen as a barrier to the Liberal Democrats gravitating towards the Labour party.Speaking outside 10, Downing Street, Mr. Brown said the process of formal negotiations with the Liberal Democrats will now begin. A coalition between the two will need to enlist the support of MPs from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and smaller parties such as the Green Party.Mr Brown said he has "no desire to stay in my position longer than is needed to ensure that the path to economic growth is secured" and the route is paved for political reform.