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Rift continues over Blair's exit Rift continues over Blair's exit
(about 11 hours later)
Close allies of both Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown have continued the debate about the prime minister's future in Sunday's newspapers. The Labour party is being warned not to "retreat into itself", as the battle rages over Tony Blair's refusal to name the day for his departure.
Treasury Minister Ed Balls described a proposed policy debate before Mr Blair steps down as "absurd" in the Observer. Minister Hilary Armstrong says the party needs to listen and engage with the public, and not resort to "tittle tattle" over the leadership transition.
Former Transport Secretary Stephen Byers told the Sunday Telegraph Mr Brown should outline Labour's future. A number of MPs have expressed concern that the lack of clarity is damaging their electoral prospects.
The Sunday Times said ex-minister Alan Milburn was calling for others to challenge Mr Brown for the leadership. But the PM says the party should stop "obsessing" about when he will go.
On Friday the prime minister said in an interview with the Times that the party should stop "obsessing" about when he would stand down as leader. 'Unique situation'
New leader Mr Blair is thought to have enraged Labour MPs by refusing to use this month's Labour conference to give an exit timetable.
Mr Balls, one of the chancellor's main supporters, said: "I do not believe the Conservative party can win the next election. But we must make sure we do not lose it. Ms Armstrong, minister for social exclusion and a key Blair ally, conceded that the leadership transition was a "unique situation", but argued that the party had to get on with the job of working with the British people.
"The idea that we need a period...of internal navel-gazing in which to renew is absurd." We need to move on from the constant speculation about when the Prime Minister will leave office John HuttonWork and Pensions Secretary
Blair-backer Mr Byers said there was "both a challenge and an opportunity" for anyone who hoped to take over as party leader. "The real test is for the party in how it handles the transition," she told Andrew Marr on the BBC's Sunday AM programme.
"But it should handle the transition knowing that it is no good us retreating into ourselves - we have got to be out there with the public understanding what their anxieties are right across the board.
"I am comfortable in a government that is driving forward, fulfilling its manifesto pledges and getting on, not with the tittle tattle, not with who's supporting this one or that one, but what are the issues that are challenging us."
Defence Secretary Des Browne, an ally of Chancellor Gordon Brown, said the party had to learn how to handle the transition process properly.
He told Sky News' Adam Boulton programme: "A prime minister that has served this country well in my view should be left to determine the time that he moves on himself.
"In my view the party will support Gordon Brown as the next prime minister."
'Opportunity'
Blairite Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton urged his Cabinet colleagues "to move on from the constant speculation about when the prime minister will leave office".
The comments came as close allies of Mr Blair and Mr Brown continued the debate about the prime minister's future in Sunday's newspapers.
Ex-Transport Secretary Stephen Byers, a Blair supporter, told the Sunday Telegraph Mr Brown should outline Labour's future.
He said there was "both a challenge and an opportunity" for anyone who hoped to take over as party leader.
"They should use this period ahead to detail their vision and policies for the future and the political direction they want the Labour party to take," he said."They should use this period ahead to detail their vision and policies for the future and the political direction they want the Labour party to take," he said.
Tit-for-tat 'Navel-gazing'
But Ed Balls, economic secretary to the Treasury and one of Mr Brown's closest allies, described a proposed policy debate before Mr Blair steps down as "absurd".
"I do not believe the Conservative party can win the next election. But we must make sure we do not lose it," he told the Observer.
"The idea that we need a period...of internal navel-gazing in which to renew is absurd."
The Sunday Times said ex-minister Alan Milburn was calling for others to challenge Mr Brown for the leadership.
Mr Milburn, another in the Blair camp, feared what he called a "headlong rush" to appoint a new leader.Mr Milburn, another in the Blair camp, feared what he called a "headlong rush" to appoint a new leader.
Drawing comparisons with the Conservatives' transition from Margaret Thatcher to John Major, he said the party failed to update what they stood for. Silence not golden?
"They went for the date but avoided the debate," he wrote in the newspaper. He added that replacing Mr Blair would "not in itself renew Labour", and went on to say the debate should be open to all comers because there could be "no monopoly in wisdom".
He added that replacing Mr Blair would "not in itself renew Labour", and went on to say the debate should be open to allcomers because there could be "no monopoly in wisdom".
"It is incumbent on all those with ambitions to lead (or deputy lead) the Labour party not just to throw their hats into the ring but to put ideas on the table," he said."It is incumbent on all those with ambitions to lead (or deputy lead) the Labour party not just to throw their hats into the ring but to put ideas on the table," he said.
"A Trappist vow of silence will not work," he said."A Trappist vow of silence will not work," he said.
BBC political correspondent Robin Brant said the exchanges were tit-for-tat and likely to carry on.
"We've had days of what the Blairites are saying, now we hear from Ed Balls and what the Brown camp is saying and this effectively is going to continue," he said.
"It's going to continue as we build up to the conference season which will be a time of intense debate and discussion, and Ed Balls' comments I think are just proof of this tit-for-tat discussion being held through the papers and on various outlets in the media as well."
Mr Blair has said he will step down before the next general election - with Mr Brown favourite to take over - but has not given a departure date.Mr Blair has said he will step down before the next general election - with Mr Brown favourite to take over - but has not given a departure date.