Former Cabinet minister Clare Short has renewed her calls for Tony Blair to resign.

Speaking on Sunday, Short predicted that the prime minister would not be leading the Labour Party at the next election.

The former international development secretary said the country had been deceived by his claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Short told Sky's Sunday with Adam Boulton programme that intelligence agencies did not believe Saddam had nuclear weapons, but thought he may have had programmes to develop WMD capabilities.

"No one thought there was some imminent danger. That was all talked up and talked up to a point of deceit," she said.

"I think he [Blair] thought it was an honourable thing to do and he thought it was important to stick with the US and not let them be alone.

"If he had to tell a few lies on the way it was for a good cause. I think he thought it was honourable."

She added: "If you are going to start getting into deceit when you are going to war and risking human life it has gone too far."

Short predicted more problems for Tony Blair in the New Year, with the Hutton inquiry due to report and a crucial Commons vote on university top-up fees.

"What's coming? Hutton, which will have implications I am sure for him, we will see how sharp," she said.

"We have got top-up fees revolt, you are going to have elections in June to the European parliament and for all the major metropolitan areas in Britain. I think that will go very badly for Labour.

"So there are going to be a lot of blows and difficulties and then we will see.

"He is not looking good. I hope for his sake, but most particularly for the honour of the country and for renewal of the Labour government, I very much he steps down gracefully."

Meanwhile, left-wing Labour backbencher Diane Abbott said the failure to find evidence of WMDs in Iraq had left loyal MPs feeling like "pillocks".

As a result, she said, they would be increasingly prepared to revolt against the government on "a swathe of issues".

Abbott told Sky News that the prime minister could regain the support of his MPs but "he needs to stop almost seeming to take pleasure in fighting his own party".