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Blair may not hang on, says Hoon Blair must go by May, says Hoon
(about 2 hours later)
Europe minister Geoff Hoon has cast doubt on Tony Blair's ability to remain in office until next May. Labour could be "in a very bad place" at the next general election if Tony Blair does not quit as leader by May, Europe minister Geoff Hoon says.
He told the London Evening Standard it could create a dangerous "air gap" for Labour, allowing a Tory recovery in local, Scottish and Welsh elections. The party faced being "wiped out in a lot of places" in elections for English councils, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly in 2007, he added.
Mr Blair has said he will quit as party leader within a year, with allies stressing it is likely to be in May. This could create a dangerous "air gap" for Labour and allow a Tory recovery, he told the London Evening Standard.
It comes as backbencher and ex-Downing Street aide Jon Cruddas said he was considering a deputy leadership bid. Downing Street said Mr Blair was focusing on "getting on with the job".
Mr Blair is thought likely to step down after local elections and mid-term polls for the Scottish and Welsh Assembly on 3 May - expected to be disastrous for Labour. The prime has said he will stand down within a year, with allies stressing that May is a likely date, to coincide with the polls being held on the third day of that month.
It is a concern that if we were to lose badly in the local elections again, two years running, a lot of active Labour members would not be active by the time of the next general election Geoff Hoon
'Popular''Popular'
"Having set the outer limits of how long he is staying, that still leaves questions in the context of the elections in May," he told the Evening Standard. Mr Hoon told the newspaper there were still questions "in the context of the elections in May", saying: "A lot of people will be asking if it makes sense to him to carry on through those elections."
I am trying to see if I can start a rolling debate about what this job is, and how the party needs to organise itself Jon Cruddas, Labour MP on the deputy leadership He raised the prospect of Labour activists jumping ship if the party performed poorly.
"A lot of people will be asking if it makes sense to him to carry on through those elections." "It is a concern that if we were to lose badly in the local elections again, two years running, a lot of active Labour members would not be active by the time of the next general election," Mr Hoon said.
He raised the prospect of Labour activists jumping ship if Labour does badly. "The view among activists is that he [Mr Blair] should go out on a high. That should be a factor affecting his decision. He should do it while he's still popular."
"It is a concern that if we were to lose badly in the local elections again, two years running, a lot of active Labour members would not be active by the time of the next general election," Mr Hoon told the newspaper. I am trying to see if I can start a rolling debate about what this job is, and how the party needs to organise itself Jon Cruddas, Labour MP, on the deputy leadership
He added: "The view among activists is that he [Mr Blair] should go out on a high. That should be a factor affecting his decision. He should do it while he's still popular."
The normally loyal minister's intervention is likely to reignite debate about Mr Blair's departure date, ahead of Labour's conference in Manchester in a week's time.The normally loyal minister's intervention is likely to reignite debate about Mr Blair's departure date, ahead of Labour's conference in Manchester in a week's time.
Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales, and Labour's member of the Welsh Assembly in West Cardiff, called for "minimum distractions" before May.
"If you have the party leadership afterwards, as people have spoken about, in May, June, July, then you'll have a kind of phoney war before 3 May," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.
"On the other hand, unless you have it a long way before 3 May, then the problem is you get a diversion of effort into the leadership election."
'Lost touch''Lost touch'
Meanwhile, former Blairite minister John Denham attacked the government as over-centralised, narrowly-focused and lacking in policies. Meanwhile former Blairite minister John Denham has attacked the government as over-centralised, narrowly-focused and lacking in policies.
"Our government has become too centralised, so much is funnelled through the narrow channel at Downing Street that we have become slower in responding to new policies. Some of our new policies haven't been well designed," Mr Denham told GMTV, in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday. Meanwhile Mr Denman - a former Blairite minister who resigned from the Home Office over the Iraq war - described the government as having become "too centralised".
"So much is funnelled through the narrow channel at Downing Street that we have become slower in responding to new policies. Some of our new policies haven't been well designed," he told GMTV, in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday.
He said the government lacked a "clear message" for voters and had lost touch with the public.He said the government lacked a "clear message" for voters and had lost touch with the public.
Mr Denham, who resigned as a Home Office minister over the Iraq war, added: "I think we have explored the limit of how much social change you can achieve by driving everything from the centre." The row come as Labour backbencher and ex-Downing Street aide Jon Cruddas said he was considering a bid for the party leadership.
Cruddas bid
In a separate development, backbencher Jon Cruddas has said he is considering adding his name to the list of Labour MPs interested in the party's deputy leadership.
He said he had been approached by key trade union figures who wanted him to stand and was "flattered".He said he had been approached by key trade union figures who wanted him to stand and was "flattered".
But he insisted that major reforms were needed, and whoever won the post should not also be given the title of Deputy Prime Minister, as John Prescott had been.But he insisted that major reforms were needed, and whoever won the post should not also be given the title of Deputy Prime Minister, as John Prescott had been.
Mr Cruddas told the Guardian: "Right now I am not crunching any numbers. That would be presumptuous. There is no vacancy. 'Rolling debate'
"I am trying to see if I can start a rolling debate about what this job is, and how the party needs to organise itself. One thing is for certain: the status quo is not an option." "Right now I am not crunching any numbers," he wrote in the Guardian.
"That would be presumptuous. There is no vacancy.
"I am trying to see if I can start a rolling debate about what this job is, and how the party needs to organise itself.
"One thing is for certain: the status quo is not an option."
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has already announced a challenge for the deputy leadership, when a vacancy arises, and Constitutional Affairs Minister Harriet Harman has said she is considering a bid.Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has already announced a challenge for the deputy leadership, when a vacancy arises, and Constitutional Affairs Minister Harriet Harman has said she is considering a bid.