Blair to send Brown a warning

Tony Blair will make an uncompromising "no U-turn" speech this week in a warning shot at Gordon Brown.

The Evening Standard has learned that a key passage will also say ideas, not personal ambition, are what drive him.

His comment will be interpreted as a threat to the Chancellor that any attempt to derail future reforms in education and health will fail and be treated as disloyalty.

The disclosure came as Mr Blair's Cabinet allies turned the heat on Mr Brown, suggesting he will not be "forgotten or forgiven" for allegedly co-operating with a new book detailing rows between the pair.

In a thinly veiled attack, Health Secretary John Reid appeared to suggest the Chancellor was unhinged and motivated by personal ambition.

Another senior supporter of Mr Blair raised the temperature further by claiming Mr Brown's behaviour was now "a grave threat" to Labour's hopes of winning a third term in power. Hostilities between the pair intensified in the wake of the book giving detailed accounts of a collapse in trust.

It quotes Mr Brown telling Mr Blair to his face: "There is nothing that you could say to me now that I could

ever believe." Mr Blair is said to have retorted bitterly: "You wouldn't work with me."

Dr Reid, speaking on BBC radio, said it would take a "psychologist" to work out what had gone on - a phrase which carried echoes of the famous remark by a No 10 aide that Mr Brown had "psychological-flaws". "I'm not a psychologistor a psychoanalyst, I don't know exactly what different people think about different people," he said.

Describing the book's claims as "damaging", he warned: "Those who co-operate with or inspire these books, in my view, have to know that whatever the short-term political or personal advantage they think they might secure, they always do it by damaging the record, the unity and the re-election chances of the Labour Party."

Dr Reid called on ministers to get on with improving public services, adding: "If people divert us from that I believe they will not be forgotten or forgiven by Labour Party members or the millions who look to us for a betterfuture." His words made clear he believes Mr Brown or his close allies were responsible for stirring trouble.

Another senior ally of Mr Blair branded the Chancellor's behaviour "extraordinary", saying: "This kind of behaviour represents a grave threat to the Government. It is very dangerous.

"Gordon is one of the most talented people in politics and has a huge contribution to make. It is impossible to fathom why he is doing this now."

Both men will tonight appear before the weekly meeting of Labour MPs at Westminster in a staged show of unity. Some backbenchers are planning to use the event to call on them to work together or risk damaging the election campaign.

But there was little hope among senior MPs that the truce would last.

Former minister Peter Kilfoyle predicted the rift would get worse. He said the latest feud was more dangerous because it was being driven by ideological differences on policy.