Labour members: Blair must go

Tony Blair and Gordon Brown

Saturday, 17, Jun 2006 12:00

A majority of Labour party members and former members want Tony Blair to step aside, a new poll reveals.

The publication of the survey at this weekend's conference organised by left-wing group Compass prompted a row between Blair loyalists and head of the group Neal Lawson.

Mr Lawson has called for Mr Blair to step down as leader and was lambasted by John Reid, the home secretary, as an old fashioned left-winger.

But the former Gordon Brown adviser came out fighting today, saying: "I don't find extremists in the Labour party any more. I don't think there is anything to be scared of in debate."

Labour members and activists are gathered in London to discuss the future of the party. The conference was attended by over 1,000 Labour members and activists, with Tony Blair's future as leader was the hot topic for the conference.

Ministers addressing the conference included ex-minister Michael Meacher, Labour chairman Hazel Blears, international development secretary Hilary Benn and Ed Balls, the economic secretary to the Treasury.

Mr Balls, a close ally of chancellor Gordon Brown, admitted that it was becoming increasingly difficult to govern the country: "We have raised expectations, and not always met them."

Mr Meacher presented the results of a YouGov opinion poll to the conference which suggests that 71 per cent of Labour members and former members want Mr Blair to resign before the next election. The same poll showed that 37 per cent want the prime minister to leave office in the next three months.

The poll of 670 Labour party members and 704 previous members also showed that 64 per cent thought party leaders do not trust members to get involved in policy formation.

"The biggest single issue in Britain today is the lack of accountability of political power," Mr Meacher said.

"The checks and balances requiring the prime minister to consult and listen have been all but eliminated."