BRITAIN: Charles Clarke has vented his continuing anger over his sacking as home secretary by voicing doubts about prime minister Tony Blair's ability to recover his authority before finally passing the premiership to Gordon Brown.
In a series of interviews yesterday, Mr Clarke combined an astonishing attack on his successor, John Reid, with a damaging critique of Mr Blair's conduct of government, while maintaining he wanted to see the prime minister in office until 2008.
Ten Downing Street reacted sharply to Mr Clarke's angry assertion that he should have been retained in the Home Office to continue the government's "reform" agenda, saying his comments were fuelled by personal disappointment.
Insisting Mr Blair had a clear sense of direction for Home Office reform, the prime minister's official spokesman said: "Charles Clarke did not hide his disappointment on the day he left the cabinet, so it's not a surprise he's expressed that disappointment in the way he has."
With at least three years to go before the next general election, meanwhile, Mr Blair himself advised his ruling Labour Party to "calm down", hold its nerve and "get on with governing".
The prime minister also denied hopeful Conservative suggestions that he had suffered his own "Geoffrey Howe moment" after the previously loyal Clarke voiced concern that the Labour government was lacking leadership and direction because Mr Blair had lost his own sense of purpose.
Margaret Thatcher never recovered from the ferocious resignation speech by resigning chancellor Geoffrey Howe, which triggered the events that led to the Michael Heseltine challenge and her ejection from Number 10.
Asked if he had just experienced his own "Geoffrey Howe moment", Mr Blair replied firmly: "No. I actually have a very great regard for Charles."
However, that was not quite the sentiment inside Number 10 as Mr Clarke's comments prompted fresh speculation on whether Mr Blair would be able to survive Labour's autumn conference without indicating a timetable for his planned departure and the election of his successor.
Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's On the Ropes programme, Mr Clarke indicated he expected Mr Brown to be Mr Blair's successor and that he would be "perfectly happy" with that outcome.
It was still "pretty much" Mr Clarke's view that Mr Blair should discharge his manifesto commitments through to 2008.
He said: "The best option would be for Tony to recover that leadership and authority and direction and carry through over a period of time.
"Whether he is able to do that - because he has been damaged by recent events - whether he wants to do that, is not a matter for me really."
Mr Clarke continued: "I simply observe there are lots of doubts about it and I share some of those, that's true. But I still think that is the best way to go forward."