In a British pub in Damascus, Clarke says Gordon will go before Election

Former Cabinet Minister Charles Clarke has predicted Gordon Brown would be ousted as Labour leader before the next General Election, it was claimed last night.

The controversial remarks were allegedly made by the former Home Secretary - the Prime Minister's most outspoken senior Labour critic - in a bar during a trip to the Middle East.

Witnesses say Mr Clarke claimed Mr Brown would not take Labour into the next Election and refused to rule out plans to mount his own challenge for the leadership.

Mr Clarke is also understood to have warned that Justice Secretary Jack Straw - one of the favourites to succeed Mr Brown - was not fit to be Prime Minister.

Although he praised Foreign Secretary David Miliband - the leading contender to become party leader - Mr Clarke added that he was not convinced Mr Miliband wanted the job just yet.

The comments were apparently made by Mr Clarke two weeks ago in the basement pub of the Sheraton Hotel, in Damascus, Syria. The MP for Norwich South was among 11 members of an all-party Parliamentary delegation invited by the British Syrian Society to discuss issues including the Middle East crisis.

On Tuesday, after meeting Syrian politicians, the MPs attended a concert and reception at the Opera House in Damascus.

Arriving back at the £150-a-night hotel, some MPs, including Mr Clarke, decided to go for a drink in the basement 'English Pub'.

One MP said: 'Charles was asked if he thought Gordon would still be in charge of Labour when the next Election comes around and he said no, he didn't think he would.

'We asked him if he might challenge for the job and he said he wouldn't rule it out.

'He said Jack Straw wasn't up to it and gave the impression he couldn't stand him. He said it wouldn't be Ed Balls and he rated David Miliband but didn't think he would want it.'

Asked if he had predicted Mr Brown would not be Labour leader at the next Election, Mr Clarke said: 'I have no recollection of saying that.' He added that he had 'no recollection' of saying Mr Straw was unfit to be Prime Minister and denied making any comment about Mr Balls.

Asked about his own ambitions for the leadership, he said: 'My position is the only way Gordon Brown would go is if he did it on his own terms.'

Mr Clarke - who has attacked Mr Brown as 'deluded' and a 'control freak' - has also criticised the Prime Minister for being 'staggeringly disloyal' to fellow Ministers.

He has also ridiculed Mr Brown's key policies, including his rally cry of 'British jobs for British workers'.