Clare Short has renewed her call for the prime minister to resign in aid of an "elegant succession".

The former international development secretary, who left the government earlier in the year over her opposition to the reconstruction of Iraq, said Tony Blair was now "hanging on" for too long.

Speaking on the GMTV Sunday Programme, she said that it would be in the interests of Blair himself to quit before "things get even nastier" in the Labour Party.

"I've already said I think it would be in the interests of Tony Blair himself and his legacy of the Labour Party, and actually of the country, if he would think of making a voluntary departure and we could have an elegant handover and Labour could renew itself in power," she said.

"Our leaders don't do that do they? They tend to you know, in Africa, in Europe, in North America, they tend to hang on if they can."

The outspoken Birmingham Ladywood MP first made the plea for an "elegant succession" in her resignation speech in May.

Most commentators felt the call was a thinly veiled bid to boost the chances of her Cabinet ally Gordon Brown.

But Short attempted to clarify her comments to deny that she was manoeuvring for the chancellor.

"I mean obviously there's Gordon Brown sitting there and everybody knows he's sitting there and he's a big figure and he's one of the potentials but I'm not talking in those terms," she said.

"[But] I'm not in any plot for any individuals," she insisted.

Having defied the whips to rebel on the vote on foundation hospitals last week, Short predicted that there would be an even bigger revolt on university "top-up" tuition fees on the Labour benches in the autumn, a policy she described as "outrageous".

"We fought the election on the commitment not to bring them in," she said.

"He's driving that through and its not just ideological. He tries to suggest people like me are Conservatives and he's the great radical.

"Its absolutely crummy, un-thought through, bad policy."

Asked what the rebellion would be over top-up fees, Short said: "I think very big."

However heavyweight Cabinet ministers moved quickly to dismiss Short's succession call.

Home secretary David Blunkett said his former colleague was "being typically self-indulgent".

"It is important to get behind the prime minister and focus on the things that matter to people, like decent opportunities and economic prosperity," he said.

And transport secretary Alistair Darling said that Short's comments were both repetitive and futile.

"She has said it before and I don't think it has any support," he claimed.

He added that Short was in danger of "downgrading" her achievements in office.