Six members of the British government today resigned their posts in protest at Tony Blair's refusal to name a date for his resignation, as the Prime Minister warned that they were putting Labour's electoral prospects at risk.
Khalid Mahmood
The PM's efforts to calm fevered speculation over his departure date were dealt a heavy blow today with the resignation of formerly-loyal junior defence minister Tom Watson, along with ministerial aides Khalid Mahmood, Wayne David, Ian Lucas, Mark Tami and David Wright.
All had put their name to a letter from 17 Blairite MPs calling on the PM to stand down.
In a reply to Mr Watson's letter of resignation, Mr Blair warned that efforts to force him to name a date for his departure were harming the party and were "divisive... and totally unnecessary".
The best way of securing future election victories was "through setting out the policy agenda for the future combined with a stable and orderly transition that leaves ample time for the next Leader to bed in", he said.
Raising the spectre of Labour's 18 years in opposition — caused in part by the public perception that the party was disunited — Mr Blair warned: "We are three years from the next Election. We have a strong policy platform.
"There is no fundamental ideological divide in the Labour Party for the first time in 100 years of history. For the first time ever, we have the prospect not just of two but three successive full terms. "
"To put all this at risk in this way is simply not a sensible, mature or intelligent way of conducting ourselves if we want to remain a governing party."
The six members' decision to resign follows a newspaper report being treated as credible in political circles that Mr Blair intends to resign office next July, eight weeks after standing down as Labour Party leader.
Downing Street has not denied the claim published by the Sunbut said it will not comment on when the Prime Minister will leave office.
Mr Blair's official spokesman said: "We are not going to give a running commentary on things. People may contact us with dates but we are not going to comment."
He also denied that the story leaked by Number 10 with Mr Blair's knowledge.
In a recent interview with the London TimesMr Blair urged MPs to stop "obsessing" about when he would quit and said he would not be giving a timetable for his departure.
But Environment Secretary David Miliband said yesterday it was "reasonable" for the conventional wisdom to be that Mr Blair would be gone in 12 months. Mr Blair's spokesman also denied Mr Miliband's comments had been prompted by No 10.
Storm clouds grew darker over Mr Blair's tenure at the start of the week when it emerged that several MPs had signed a letter urging the Prime Minister to end the speculation surrounding his resignation date.
The Sunstory this morning added to the pressure and then, shortly after noon today, Mr Watson declared he was a signatory to the letter and was standing down.
Tony Blair later issued a statement saying he had been intending to dismiss Mr Watson over his signing of the letter, which he said was "disloyal, discourteous and wrong".
It emerged less than an hour later the Mr Mahmood was also resigning over Mr Blair's tenure.
Mr Watson's resignation letter spoke in flattering terms of Mr Blair's achievements describing his leadership as "visionary and remarkable".
"The struggle to fashion the kind of credible, convincing, effective Labour Party you now lead has been the preoccupation of my adult years.
"My pride in what our Government has achieved under your leadership is beyond expression."
However the letter also said: "It is with the greatest sadness that I have to say that I no longer believe that your remaining in office is in the interest of either the party or the country.
Downing Street tonight confirmed that Derek Twigg had been appointed defence minister to replace Mr Watson, and that his position as junior transport minister was being filled by Tom Harris, who was parliamentary private secretary to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.
Agencies