SENIOR Labour figures rallied to Mr Tony Blair's defence last night as his "autocratic" style of leadership came under renewed attack.
With the row over the party's "U-turn" on devolution referendums set to resume at a meeting of Scottish Labour MPs today, Mr Paul Flynn delivered a fresh broadside against the party leadership.
The MP for Newport West widened his attack to encompass the whole thrust of party policy just as Mr Blair put the finishing touches to a 10,000 word policy statement on which Labour will fight the general election.
Mr Flynn said Mr Blair was not "omnipotent" and accused him of behaving in a manner inconsistent with the leadership of a democratic party.
"We are producing policy documents which are timid and anaemic," he declared. "Because of this fear of upsetting the tabloid press we come out with policies that are not radical but which very much reflect the prejudices of the Tory Party.
Returning to last week's announcement that devolution for Scotland and Wales would first be put to referendum, Mr Flynn said the shadow Welsh Secretary, Mr Ron Davies, had not been consulted and was told to accept the change or resign.
Mr Flynn said. The referendum will inflict wounds on my party in Wales that will never heal and create civil war within that party.
Mr Dennis Canavan MP said he would take soundings among fellow Scottish MPs in an attempt to persuade Mr Blair to dump the "absurd" referendum plan. Mr Canavan, too, complained that Mr Blair's "style of leadership is far too autocratic" while the Liberal Democrats distanced themselves from Mr Blair.
Sir David Steel said that, if Mr Blair acquired a reputation for "high handedness" as leader of the Opposition, he wondered what he would be like with the power and authority of prime minister.
The shadow Chancellor, Mr Gordon Brown, insisted Mr Flynn's comments were "unrepresentative" and insisted the party wanted "a leader to lead from the front."
Sources close to Mr Blair are said to be happy that the internal party criticism will rebound to Mr Blair's advantage with voters "in the Home Counties".
Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party is to launch a poster campaign in Glasgow with the hard hitting message. "Tony Blair doesn't give a Two XX for a Scottish parliament.