Gordon Brown and other senior ministers had to persuade Tony Blair this summer not to step down before the next general election, the Times claims today.

The chancellor was joined by John Reid, Tessa Jowell and Charles Clarke in arguing that such a plan would leave Blair as a lame duck leader and open the way to six months of internal Labour Party turmoil and a bitter leadership contest.

Blair made his suggestion because he was said to be worried that he was contributing to falling trust in the government over Iraq and other issues.