Foreign Secretary David Miliband has thrown his support behind the prime minister and rejected calls for a Labour leadership contest.
Mr Miliband told BBC One's Politics Show he believed Gordon Brown was fully capable of winning the next election.
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The foreign secretary has been tipped as a potential successor to the PM.
More than a dozen MPs have called for a leadership contest including former Labour minister Fiona Mactaggart and party vice chair Joan Ryan.
She was sacked from her party post after supporting the demands.
'Bottled it?'
Mr Miliband said: "I don't support their argument that we should trigger a leadership contest.
"I've said I expect Gordon to lead us into the next general election. I will support him in doing so."
The Foreign Secretary's support for the prime minister is particularly significant as he has been seen as a contender for the top job.
In July, he wrote an article outlining Labour's future but with no mention of Mr Brown. The move was seen by many as an attempt to test the water over a potential take-over bid.
In response to questioning on the Politics Show, Mr Miliband denied he had "bottled it" at the time by not following through with a challenge.
Among the others who have called for a challenge to Mr Brown are former Barry Gardiner, a special envoy on forestry for the prime minister.
Mr Gardiner said: "I was one of those who nominated Gordon last year, and I was very hopeful that he would come in with a very clear vision for the country, and unfortunately I don't think he's managed to do that.
"I think the public have therefore stopped listening to him."
Ms Mactaggart said: "I think we should give someone else a chance to take over."
Rally of support
On Friday, junior whip Siobhain McDonagh was also fired for calling for a debate on Gordon Brown's leadership.
Other ministers, however, have rallied to support the prime minister, arguing that it is not the time for a challenge to Gordon Brown - nor for a public debate about the future of the party.
Among them is Business Secretary John Hutton.
He joined those in support of the prime minister by telling Gordon Brown's critics they should concentrate their fire on other parties, not their own leader.
He said: "It's the job of members of the cabinet... to support the prime minister in what he's doing and I do that because he is setting the right direction for Britain."
The Labour Party has said nine MPs have so far asked for nomination papers to be issued to all members of the parliamentary party - five of these have now made their names public.
BBC political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg said: "With just seven days until the party's conference, there is no doubt Labour is in a flux."
(BBC)
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