London - The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, has been publicly accused by his ex-minister, Ms Mo Mowlam, of being at odds with his Chancellor and acting like an American presidential figure.
In a TV programme to be shown today, Ms Mowlam, who was Northern Ireland Secretary and Cabinet Office minister, says effective cabinet government is "dead" and claims a small number of unelected advisers wield too much power and influence.
Ms Mowlam tells the programme, Cabinet Confidential: "Tony's acting more like a president than a prime minister and in that situation the cabinet itself is dead." She adds: "When you have two people that aren't working together, and that is the prime minister and the chancellor, it doesn't lead to positive, easy, decision making. The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott disagrees with Ms Mowlam's analysis of Cabinet government: "If her analysis was right about what goes on in Cabinet, it's just a different Cabinet than the one I know." He adds: "She's daft."
