Labour MPs urge Blair to quit

4.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 5th Sep 2006

Tony Blair

A group of normally loyal Labour MPs have written to Tony Blair urging him to quit as prime minister. The MPs, who were principally elected in 2001, have confronted Mr Blair amid growing calls for him to give a date for his departure.

Norman Lamb "Tony Blair has stated publicly that people should stop obsessing about his departure from 10 Downing Street. But behind closed doors, he seems to have instructed his advisers to obsess about every last detail. The public can no longer be confident that the Government is focusing full-time on policies, rather than politics. The Prime Minister's dithering is now paralysing his Government. He must make his intentions clear without further delay."