Blair urged to name his departure date from No 10
(Filed: 06/05/2006)
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are to hold talks on Labour's future amid calls from MPs for the Prime Minister to name his departure date.
Not the best of friends: Tony Blair and, on the right, soon-to-be Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Mr Brown has said the Government needs to act to renew itself "within days" following one of the worst local election performances in Labour history.
A draft letter is understood to be circulating among MPs calling for the Prime Minister to say exactly when he will go. The backbenchers claim the letter has the support of about 50 MPs.
Two Brownite former ministers - Andrew Smith and Nick Brown - have called for a public timetable for a leadership succession.
Mr Blair - who is 53 today - has said he will not serve another term as Prime Minister.
Yesterday Mr Blair announced his most brutal Cabinet reshuffle to date after the poor election results and days of damaging headlines, demoting or sidelining almost a third of his Cabinet.
He axed Charles Clarke, who had been under intense pressure over the foreign prisoners scandal, as Home Secretary and stripped John Prescott of his department.
But despite calls for Mr Prescott's head following revelations of his affair with a secretary, he kept his title, grace-and-favour homes and salary.
Thursday's local election results were Labour's worst since 1968. The party lost 300-plus seats and control of 17 councils and was pushed into third place on share of the vote.
The Tories gained more than 300 seats.
telegraph.co.uk
(Filed: 06/05/2006)
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are to hold talks on Labour's future amid calls from MPs for the Prime Minister to name his departure date.
Not the best of friends: Tony Blair and, on the right, soon-to-be Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Mr Brown has said the Government needs to act to renew itself "within days" following one of the worst local election performances in Labour history.
A draft letter is understood to be circulating among MPs calling for the Prime Minister to say exactly when he will go. The backbenchers claim the letter has the support of about 50 MPs.
Two Brownite former ministers - Andrew Smith and Nick Brown - have called for a public timetable for a leadership succession.
Mr Blair - who is 53 today - has said he will not serve another term as Prime Minister.
Yesterday Mr Blair announced his most brutal Cabinet reshuffle to date after the poor election results and days of damaging headlines, demoting or sidelining almost a third of his Cabinet.
He axed Charles Clarke, who had been under intense pressure over the foreign prisoners scandal, as Home Secretary and stripped John Prescott of his department.
But despite calls for Mr Prescott's head following revelations of his affair with a secretary, he kept his title, grace-and-favour homes and salary.
Thursday's local election results were Labour's worst since 1968. The party lost 300-plus seats and control of 17 councils and was pushed into third place on share of the vote.
The Tories gained more than 300 seats.
telegraph.co.uk