Meacher to get summit ticket

Tony Blair is ready to perform a major climbdown and include environment minister Michael Meacher in the British team for this month's Earth Summit in Johannesburg, it was claimed today.

Mr Meacher - one of the Government's few experts in climate change - was furious earlier this week after being told to stay at home while 70 UK delegates set off for South Africa.

Opposition politicians claimed the events had turned into a farce because four senior ministers - Tony Blair, John Prescott, Clare Short and Margaret Beckett - were on the trip while Mr Meacher was not. He was thought to have been the victim of moves to cut back Britain's delegation by Alastair Campbell, worried about "junketing" charges.

However, there were signs today that Mr Meacher was to be reinstated after behind-thescenes manoeuvring in Whitehall.

The full list of the ministers attending was being released, possibly as early as today, by Mr Prescott. Mr Meacher was expected to be on it - in the place of Baroness Amos, the minister responsible for Africa.