In interviews with two newspapers published Saturday, Cherie Blair said Brown was “rattling the keys” over her husband’s head when he suffered a crisis of confidence in April 2004 over his decision to take Britain to war with Iraq.

“I thought he was putting too much pressure on Tony to quit when Tony wasn’t ready,” she told the Sun.

Brown took over in June 2007 after a tempestuous 10-year relationship with Blair during which he ran Britain’s finances as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

But unpopular income tax reform, rising fuel and food prices, a downturn in the housing market and an image problem led to big losses in local elections that have cast doubt on Brown’s leadership.

A YouGov poll Friday put Labour on 23 percent with the opposition Conservative Party on 49 percent which would guarantee a crushing defeat for the ruling party if national elections were held now. Brown must call an election by 2010 at the latest.

She said Blair was advising Brown despite their past differences.

“I know that Tony thinks Gordon could win the election and I know he has spoken to Gordon about how he could do that.”

She disclosed that Blair would have stood down earlier than last year if Brown had been prepared to back him on key public service reforms.

“Instead of which Tony felt he had no option but to stay on and fight for the things he believed in,” she told the Times.

Brown had agreed to let Blair run as leader of the Labour party in a deal struck in 1994, on the proviso that Blair would eventually step aside.

But Brown’s impatience to take over as prime minister eventually soured their relationship.

Cherie Blair’s disclosures came ahead of the publication of her memoirs “Speaking for Myself”.

Subscribe to The China Post and save.  Click hereSharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 800 characters max

Receive China Post promos

Respond to this email