MPs urge Brown to rethink don nomination

MPs have called on chancellor Gordon Brown to reconsider his nomination of academic Christopher Allsopp, a fellow of New College, Oxford, to sit on the Bank of England's interest rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee.

The Treasury select committee said it had been disappointed by its interview with Mr Allsopp and doubted whether he had "the skill required to take part in meetings of the Monetary Policy Committee". The Treasury said there was no question of Mr Brown reconsidering the appointment.