BRITAIN: British Labour Party officials last night scrambled to ensure that Tony Blair and his chancellor Gordon Brown will share a platform when the party launches its local election campaign this week, in a renewed attempt to display public unity in the face of factional squabbles.
With both men originally due to appear together at Wednesday's launch in London, Mr Brown had to reschedule to Crawley, close to Gatwick airport, from which he intended to fly to a UN meeting in New York, now postponed. After weekend claims that he had been deliberately excluded, Ian McCartney, Labour's chairman, announced last night the pair will join him at the London unveiling after all.
Yesterday senior ministers, including transport secretary Alistair Darling and Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain, spoke for cabinet colleagues when they denounced those engaged in what Mr Darling called "harmful briefing" and told them to concentrate on helping Labour to win on May 4th.
Mr Hain admitted there are "tensions" and "off-stage noises" between the prime minister's office and the chancellor.
He blamed unnamed colleagues jockeying for position for a spate of bitter speculation in the anti-Blair media. Many Labour MPs, whose constituency activists are dismayed by such election distractions, agree.
The chancellor's camp is also hinting that it expects Mr Blair to tell ministers and MPs to be more disciplined after a week in which it was claimed that Mr Brown's budget was used to harm Mr Blair on May 4th. The Blair camp blames aggressive media reporting more than it does the chancellor's office.
Mr Hain, who is himself preparing a bid for the deputy leadership one day, said: "I am not denying there are not tensions; I am not denying there isn't the odd argument, but that's inevitable in any huge operation such as running government . . . but a lot of the media obsession in this seems in a different world from the one I operate in around the cabinet table."
Alan Milburn is the MP most conspicuously being criticised for a post-budget speech which included a Commons criticism of Mr Brown's tax strategy for the low-paid. He insists he also praised the budget. Yesterday's crop of media allegations were dismissed by both Blair and Brown camps as "saloon bar nonsense", including one that the Blairites will promote Mr Milburn, the ex-health secretary, to challenge Mr Brown for the leadership.
However, the run of trouble which has dogged Mr Blair since Ms Jowell's family problems over her husband's business affairs has made many Labour MPs jittery about their future. Some want Mr Blair to say, either now or at Labour's September conference, exactly when he plans to go.
Back from his tour in the Far East, Mr Blair plans to resist that pressure, though he understands that his position may have to change if he cannot shake off his troubles.
An ICM poll for the News of the World yesterday found that 42 per cent of voters want him to step down immediately and a further 15 per cent within a year. Another 13 per cent want Mr Blair to go before the next election - as he intends - with 21 per cent wanting him to stay on.
Mr Hain dismissed suggestions there will be a contested leadership when Mr Blair finally goes.