Six quit in growing Blair leadership protest

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 Blair warned that they were putting Labour’s electoral prospects at risk.

Blair'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 prime minister 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.”