FORMER Yeovil MP and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Paddy Ashdown, was offered the Cabinet post of Northern Ireland secretary by Prime Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown.

The BBC revealed that Lord Ashdown said the offer was made on Wednesday - after Lib Dem Leader Sir Menzies Campbell said no member of his party would join Mr Brown's government.

The peer, who lives in Norton-sub-Hamdon, said he could not have considered taking a Cabinet post without Sir Menzies' approval. And he said that he would not have been in favour of the proposal anyway.

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

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said a meeting on Monday between Sir Menzies and Mr Brown included discussions about junior roles for Lord Ashdown and another LibDem peer, Baroness Neuberger.

He said the LibDem leader had not been aware that a direct offer of a Cabinet post was being made to Lord Ashdown.

advertisementSir Menzies had ruled out any LibDem serving in a Brown Cabinet after Wednesday's Guardian newspaper reported Mr Brown was considering such an offer.

Lord Ashdown told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he had been personally offered the job by Mr Brown later on Wednesday.

In a statement to the programme he said: "It is true that Mr Brown suggested that I might take a position in the Cabinet.

"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."

There has been long-running speculation that Lord Ashdown and Sir Menzies Campbell were close to joining Tony Blair's first Cabinet when he came to power in 1997.

The idea of LibDems sitting in a Labour Cabinet has always faced strong opposition among the faithful of both parties who are used to bitter political battles in local and national elections