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mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

Prime Minister Tony Blair has the backing of the Labour Party and should not be forced out prematurely, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has said.

She said people should be sceptical of stories "from unattributed sources" on claims Labour MPs wanted him to go.

There was no evidence that MPs wanted anything other than for the government to get on with the job and for Mr Blair to go "in his own time", she said.

The Tories say the uncertainty over his departure is paralysing government.

Mr Blair is due to stand down this year but has come under pressure to go now after being interviewed by police as a witness for a second time in the cash-for-honours inquiry.

And there have been reports that even Cabinet ministers are questioning how long Mr Blair can remain in post.

But Ms Jowell, a staunch ally of the prime minister, told the BBC's AM programme people should be sceptical about "acres and acres of coverage from unattributed sources" about the cash-for-honours inquiry and suggestions that MPs wanted Mr Blair to go.

She said: "As far as anybody can establish there is no evidence in the parliamentary party, the parliamentary committee or indeed in the Labour party more widely for anything other than for this Labour government ... to get on with the job of delivering for the people of this country and to let the prime minister leave number 10 in his own time as he has made very clear he will do."

Asked whether Mr Blair should just go now, she added: "No I don't think so. He's made his intentions absolutely clear and I think he should be allowed to get on with the job."

Ms Jowell said it would be a "presumption of guilt" if Mr Blair were to resign before the police inquiry was completed.

Labour Party chair Hazel Blears told GMTV that the media attention around the inquiry had overshadowed "quite a lot of our domestic agenda" and made it more difficult to "get messages across".

But she said she did not think people were on tenterhooks waiting for Tony Blair to announce when he would resign.

And the government's chief whip Jacqui Smith said it would be "undemocratic" to drive him from office during the inquiry.

Four members of Mr Blair's inner circle, including his chief fundraiser Lord Levy, have now been questioned by police investigating claims honours were given in exchange for cash. All deny any wrongdoing.

Mr Blair was interviewed for a second time on Friday, but the news was kept secret until Thursday at the police's request.

He was not interviewed under caution, which means he is being treated as a witness rather than a suspect.

But some senior Labour figures have said the affair is damaging the government's reputation and eroding trust in politics.

And the Conservatives say uncertainty about Mr Blair's successor means has left the government in paralysis.

On Sunday shadow defence secretary Liam Fox told GMTV that Mr Blair's authority was "ebbing away".

"I think it is not in the national interest for the prime minister to carry on, I think his continuation in office is an act of selfishness of historic proportions," he said.

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I think it's right he should stay until later this year. This will not help the local elections if some members from the labour party and conservatives etc keep asking for him to go. He will go when he's ready, and when Brown or whoever are ready to take the PM job.

Ella Sailyour · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 579 Location: Marbella, Spain

I hope you get a 2.1 for the above Mark. You deserve it. Then onto your Masters, perhaps?

Ella Rolling Eyes

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