LONDON, (Reuters) – An attempt to oust British Prime  Minister Gordon Brown appeared to have fizzled out yesterday,  leaving a battered Brown to lead his jittery party into this  year’s election.

Brown called the challenge to his leadership “a storm in a  teacup”, saying he had the full backing of his cabinet after two  former ministers called for a secret ballot on his future among  Labour parliamentarians.

Only months before an election, which is expected to end   Labour’s 13-year rule, Wednesday’s plot could not have come at a  worse time for Brown, especially as his poor opinion poll  ratings have been showing signs of improvement.

Labour’s popularity has been hit by a deep recession, an  increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan and a scandal over  politicians’ expenses.

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said voters were far less  interested in the plot than the government’s latest plans to  bring the economy out of recession.