Despite growing speculation over Brown's future, most of his ministers wanted him to lead the party. Harriet Harman and Foreign Secretary David Miliband said they were not preparing leadership bids. After Labour lost the Glasgow East by-election in July, Harmanthe deputy leader of the partysuppressed rumours regarding her intentions, saying that Brown was the "solution", not the "problem"; Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Justice Secretary Jack Straw, Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband re-affirmed their support for Brown. The deputy Prime Minister under Blair, John Prescott, also pledged his support. David Miliband was then forced to deny that he was plotting a leadership bid; in July, an article written by him for "The Guardian" was interpreted by the media as an attempt to undermine Brown. In the article, Miliband outlined the party's future but did not mention the Prime Minister. Miliband was forced to quell rumours that he would run against Brown in a leadership election, adding that he was confident Brown could lead Labour to victory in the 2010 general election, and that his article was actually an attack against the fatalism that had dogged the party since the loss of Glasgow-East.