Jane Kennedy quit her government post and hammered a nail in Gordon Brown's political coffin by accusing him of using tactics akin to those of the Militant Tendency.
Wavertree Labour MP Mrs Kennedy fired a damning broadside against No 10 and declared that her party could not win a general election without a change at the top.
She revealed that her resignation was triggered when she declined a direct request to pledge her support to the Prime Minister following the disasterous showing for Labour in the EU elections.
The 51-year-old MP resigned as a Minister of State at the Department of the Environment as the PM tackled a reshuffle of various junior departmental roles.
Mrs Kennedy said that her decision came after she decided that Mr Brown had lost the trust and confidence of the British electorate.
The last straw for her came after Mr Brown made a personal telephone call asking her to make a "pledge of loyalty" if she was to remain in government.
Mrs Kennedy said: "I was asked if I wanted to stay in government and if I did, would I give an assurance that I would be in support of Gordon Brown.
"I wasn't able to give them that assurance and therefore I have not been re-appointed to the government.
"I've been unhappy for some time about briefings against individuals, leaks, smears against colleagues.
"It's a style, a type of politics that I have fought against all my working life since battling against the Militant Tendency here in Liverpool.
"It's not a kind of politics that I want to be associated with."
Mrs Kennedy plans to contest her seat the next General Election which is expected to be either in November or next June.
On Mr Brown's continued tenure in Downing Street sghe said: "I think he should indicated that he will step asside as leader and we should have the opportunity to chose a different leader."
Mrs Kennedy’s resignation as Agriculture Minister is the latest blow to a government that is reeling after damning disclosures over MPs expenses.
More junior ministers are expected to follow suit after the Cabinet resignations of last week, adding to the mounting pressure on Mr Brown to resign.
Liverpool-born Mrs Kennedy had resigned from Tony Blair's government in 2006 as Health Minister over cuts that were later dropped and she was brought back as Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Last year Mr Brown demoted her to Minister for Food, Farming and Recycling.
She gained a degree in Chemistry at Liverpool University and worked for the city council from 1979 to 1988 before embarking on a political career.
Her previous government jobs included Northern Ireland security and policing minister and work and pensions minister.
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