Blair defies calls to quit from party

LONDON - Tony Blair urged his restive Labour party on Wednesday to unite behind him after a third straight election victory, but he failed to silence critics who want him to resign early.

Growing disillusionment with Blair, especially over his handling of the Iraq war, cost his centre-left party more than half its majority in last week's election.

That has sparked calls from some within Labour for Blair, who has said he will serve a full term of four or five years but not stand again, to quit sooner rather than later.

Blair told his parliamentary party he understood the need for a smooth transition but demanded loyalty in the meantime.

"Our job is to implement the (policy) manifesto. It will only be carried through if we are united," Blair told Labour lawmakers at their first meeting after the election.

"Our fourth victory will be under a different leadership, but we have to remain united," he said, according to a spokesman's account of the closed-door meeting.

As lawmakers returned to parliament for its first session after a gruelling month of campaigning and dozens of new faces appeared in the centuries-old chamber, loud applause could be heard from the meeting.

But some lawmakers said the atmosphere was more strained than usual.

Most critics want a swift handover to Chancellor Gordon Brown who is less damaged by Iraq.

Some say the prime minister should go within months while others think a natural time would be after next year's planned referendum on the EU Constitution.

Blair, once the party's biggest electoral asset, gave no hint as to when he would stand aside, saying only he understood the need for a "stable and orderly transition".

NOT ENOUGH

This was not enough for some of his party.

"We need him to tell us when he's stepping down and how he's going to do it ... he's opened up the Pandora's box of his stepping down," Labour's Glenda Jackson said after the meeting. "I made it clear he was the vote loser in my constituency."

Another lawmaker said Blair was "in denial" about being unpopular and had told him he should go.

Amid underlying tensions and accusations he has become too far removed from the party, Blair last week said he had listened and learned lessons.

But the prime minister gave little ground at the meeting.

He told members to conduct the debate on the party's future within the party rather than in the media and signalled his intention to pursue radical reforms.

"We won from a centre-left position and I am absolutely convinced we have got to stay there. The most important thing for us is to build out from the centre ... we can build out from this to a fourth term victory," he said.

Blair will spell out his policy priorities to parliament next week.

Revolts from within his party loom.

A hardcore of 30 to 40 Labour rebels almost defeated some key measures in the last parliament and threaten to block the introduction of identity cards, fresh anti-terrorism measures and new plans for immigration and asylum.

Many lawmakers, however, said Blair had the support of much of the party.

"On the back of a third Labour victory people feel pretty protective and I think a genuine majority of people will continue to support him," said Ken Purchase.

- REUTERS