Blair's ministers try to end UK leadership feud

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) Senior members of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party tried to halt a damaging feud over its leadership today as an opinion poll showed the party's support falling to a 14-year low.

Blair, in office for nine years, has been under pressure from members of his own party to name a date to hand over the reins to finance minister Gordon Brown, his likely successor.

Calls for Blair to leave soon have grown following a series of sleaze and mismanagement scandals that culminated in the ruling party taking a severe beating in local council elections last week.

Blair attempted yesterday to end a row that threatens to tear the party apart, refusing to set a date for his departure but promising to give his successor ample time to settle in before the next national election, due by 2010.

Blair's deputy, John Prescott, urged party members not to fight over when Blair should step down, warning that continued bickering would damage the party.

''I do say to people, don't get into a war about it now. It's an unnecessary distraction,'' he said in an interview with The Independent newspaper.

Blair, who led the Labour Party to an unprecedented third successive general election victory last year, has pledged not to seek a fourth term.

SETTLE IN Some commentators interpreted Blair's promise to allow time for his successor to settle in as abandoning a promise made during last year's election campaign to serve a full term and said it indicated he could stand down next summer.

Brown, interviewed on GMTV television, said he had not talked to Blair about the details of the handover, but said Blair planned to discuss the issue with senior party colleagues.

''I think we will prove to the world that we can do these things in an orderly and dignified and sensible and proper way, and do it in a way that is unifying as well as unified,'' he said.

Ruth Kelly, a minister in charge of local government, urged people to trust Blair. ''I hope this issue (of the leadership) is now resolved,'' she told BBC radio.

A poll published by The Times newspaper showed the government's image suffering badly after weeks of scandals and the row over the leadership.

In recent weeks, Blair's government has been attacked over the bungled release of foreign prisoners, its performance on state health care and Prescott's admission he had an affair with one of his secretaries.

Support for Labour has dropped since early April by 6 points to 30 per cent, equal to the lowest in any poll since 1992, The Times said. The opposition Conservatives' score rose 4 points to 38 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats down 1 point to 20 per cent.

Backing for Blair to remain prime minister beyond the end of this year has fallen from 42 to 31 per cent, The Times said.

Blair responded to his party's local election losses with a far-reaching government shakeup last Friday, firing or moving several of his top ministers. He left Prescott with his title but took away many of his responsibilities.

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