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Two ex-cabinet ministers are calling for a secret ballot on Gordon Brown's leadership, only months before a general election must be called. Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon have written to Labour MPs saying the issue must be sorted out "once and for all". They said the party was "deeply divided" and without a ballot there was a risk "grumbling" could continue through the election campaign. But minister Chris Bryant told the BBC the call was "self indulgent". It follows rumours Mr Brown's critics were trying to persuade ministers to resign in a bid to force him out. 'Frustration' In their letter Ms Hewitt - a former health secretary and Mr Hoon, a former defence secretary who was also Labour's chief whip, wrote: "Many colleagues have expressed their frustration at the way in which this question is affecting our political performance. "We have therefore come to the conclusion that the only way to resolve this issue would be to allow every member to express their view in a secret ballot. "There is a risk otherwise that the persistent background briefing and grumbling could continue up to and possibly through the election campaign, affecting our ability to concentrate all of our energies on getting our real message across." Ms Hewitt told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "This is not an attempted coup. It's exactly what we say in the letter - it's an attempt to get this matter sorted out once and for all." She said she and Mr Hoon had thought "very carefully" about their actions and it would be more damaging for the party if it remained divided going into the election campaign. 'Self indulgent' Mr Hoon told the BBC he had not spoken to any current cabinet ministers about their views, adding it was a "matter for the Parliamentary Labour Party". Labour MP Frank Field and former home secretary Charles Clarke, who have criticised Mr Brown in the past, both told the BBC they welcomed the call. But minister Chris Bryant said it would look "self indulgent within the party" and chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) Tony Lloyd told the BBC: "Geoff Hoon has very little support and that's the real issue for the Parliamentary Labour Party - what we want is for Gordon Brown to ignore this." BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the letter was an extraordinary development but he did not know if it was possible to force a leadership ballot. Mr Brown saw off efforts to unseat him last year, when cabinet minister James Purnell quit and called on him to go. There were suggestions on Tuesday that a cabinet minister might be about to quit to put pressure on Mr Brown's leadership - which were dismissed by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson as "pure journalistic invention". But later, after her name was suggested by one website, Tessa Jowell put out a statement saying: "This story is complete and utter rubbish and I have no intention of resigning." Sources within Downing Street dismissed talk of a plot as "nonsense".