Transport secretary Ruth Kelly quits the government

Transport secretary Ruth Kelly has announced she will step down from the government in the next cabinet reshuffle.

The mum-of-four said she had made the decision to spend more time with her family, while prime minister Gordon Brown denied a rift with her.

Brown told the BBC: “There are no political issues between Ruth and me”.

Kelly made her announcement at the Labour party conference, saying she was proud to have worked with Brown.

Experts have predicted the reshuffle could come as early as next week when the conference is over.

The news comes amid speculation Kelly was to approve an extension to Heathrow Airport by Christmas.

According to reports in the Times, the controversial expansion is "a done deal" and has the support of Kelly who was likely to make an announcement on it in November.