Blair facing fresh gripes

Fresh troubles rolled in at Tony Blair's doorstep today as he and his senior ministers try to struggle clear of a lengthening list of dissent and disasters.

First across the threshold at No10 this morning are the police chiefs and ministers involved in the continuing - and so far unsuccessful - battle against street crime.

They will be closely followed by Britain's farmers, profoundly unhappy at the failure to revive the countryside in the wake of the foot-and-mouth disaster.

Meanwhile, in a cheeky gesture the European parliament today launches precisely the independent and public inquiry into footand-mouth epidemic which Mr Blair has steadfastly refused to hold back home.

Farmers leaders at No 10 will discuss the recommendations of the Policy Commission into the Future of Farming and Food.

However, no decisions on farming policy are likely to be announced following the "food summit".

Today's meetings come as Mr Blair's own backbenchers grow increasingly restive over the leadership's handling of a range of issues such as the rail industry and job losses.

As MPs pack up today for the Easter recess, many are making clear their anxiety over the problems mounting up, but also privately expressing their resentment at having their loyalty taken for granted.

Many are still coming to terms with the news that up to 15,000 jobs are being cut by Consignia, the company running the post office network, with the threat of widespread industrial action from the unions should compulsory redundancies be made.

Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt came under fire when she was forced to admit that there would be "further, unavoidable job losses" to enable Royal Mail to become financially sound - with the prospect of up to 30,000 jobs going over the next three years.

But much of the backbench anger is being directed at Transport Secretary Stephen Byers, who performed a U-turn on Railtrack by announcing that the Government is ready to pay £300 million to shareholders, despite previous, repeated assurances that no such pay-outs would be made to bail out the collapsed company.

Mr Byers faced an ominous silence from his own benches last night when he doggedly defended the plan in the Commons, attempting to present it as "good news for the travelling public".

However, much of the blame for the raft of problems and confusion facing Labour is being put at Mr Blair's door. Labour MP Ian Gibson, not regarded as a hardliner Left-wing MP, warned: "He is on a yellow card, and has got to get on and relax and make sure things happen - let us have more inspiration."