Prescott 'told Blair to sack Brown'

In his autobiography, serialised in The Sunday Times newspaper, the former Deputy Prime Minister said he believed that Mr Brown had considered resigning but pulled back because of the "possible consequences".

Mr Prescott said he had also told Mr Blair he should sack Mr Brown if he could no longer tolerate his behaviour, but Mr Blair also drew back as he knew it would tear Labour apart.

Mr Prescott's book throws fresh light on the turbulent relationship between the two men in the years before Mr Blair finally stood down last year.

It comes as Mr Blair's wife Cherie disclosed in her autobiography that Mr Blair would have stood down before the 2005 General Election if Mr Brown had been prepared to back his reforms on foundation hospitals and city academies.

Mr Prescott said he had spent much of his time in Government acting as a conciliator between the two men, with "hundreds" of phone calls and meetings dealing with "Blair-Brown issues".

He said that Mr Blair had repeatedly reneged on promises to make way for Mr Brown. Each time he needed his Chancellor's support on a particular issue he would adopt the tactic of saying he would be going soon.

"When it never happened, Gordon was furious and the whole cycle began again," Mr Prescott said.

He described one occasion when Mr Brown was "even more furious than usual" with Mr Blair.

"I said to him 'If this is how you feel, that you've been misled once again, resign.' I think he thought about it, but it never came to that. He was aware of the possible consequences."