Tony Blair broke a promise to resign as Prime Minister in favour of Gordon Brown, John Prescott said last night.
The former Deputy Prime Minister revealed that Mr Blair promised to go during a meeting at Mr Prescott's grace-and-favour apartment in Admiralty House, London.
But Mr Blair failed to fulfil his pledge, leading to a breakdown in trust between the then PM and his chancellor Mr Brown.
Mr Prescott's comments echo Cherie Blair's revelations yesterday that her husband refused to stand down after the 2005 election because Mr Brown would not back his key domestic policies.
The revelations come as a new poll shows Labour is on course for a crushing defeat in the Crewe by-election in 11 days. The poll puts the Tories on 43 per cent with Labour on 39 - a dramatic 10 per cent swing since the last General Election.
It would turn Labour's 7,078 majority in the stronghold previously held by firebrand MP Gwyneth Dunwoody into a Conservative majority of over 1,000.
The shock poll heaps further pressure on Gordon Brown's administration after Mr Prescott revealed the tensions between him and Mr Blair before the 2005 election, following the crucial meeting which sources say could have been as early as November 2003.
Mr Prescott said: "He (Blair) said, 'Look, you know, I am going to go' - and then he didn't do it.
"So he reneged on his promise. The feeling of not keeping your promises - it doesn't encourage co-operation." Mr Prescott said he spent much of his 10 years in office peace-making between Mr Blair and Mr Brown as arguments raged over the then PM's abdication. Mr Prescott said: "Towards the end it got more difficult. Tony was frustrated that he wasn't totally running government.
"They hadn't lost control of their emotions. They weren't about to belt each other. I mean, Gordon could go off like a bloody volcano but Tony doesn't like the full-frontal approach. "It puts him off his tea." Mr Prescott told of arguments in which Mr Brown "just launched into Tony". He said Mr Brown constantly asked Mr Blair when he would go, even though the pair had an agreement that he would quit halfway through his second term.
Cherie Blair has told of how Mr Brown hounded Mr Blair out of office, "rattling the keys" above his head in 2004 as the ex-PM suffered a crisis of confidence. Mr Prescott has backed Mr Brown, saying he has done more to alleviate poverty in Britain than anyone else in politics and refusing to criticise him over the abolition of the 10p tax band.
CREWE ELECTION RESULT 2005
Lab: 48.4% Cons: 32.6% Lib Dem: 18.6 %
POLL PREDICTION 2008
Lab: 39% Cons: 43%
Lib Dem: 16%
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