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Ed Balls' memos reveal efforts to oust Blair Ed Balls' memos reveal Brown pressure on Blair
(about 4 hours later)
Fresh evidence has emerged of how Gordon Brown and his supporters tried to oust Tony Blair as prime minister. Leaked Labour memos have shed new light on efforts by Gordon Brown and his allies to replace Tony Blair as prime minister after the 2005 election.
Their efforts are shown in papers belonging to the current shadow chancellor Ed Balls, >which have been obtained by the Daily Telegraph. Personal papers belonging to the now shadow chancellor Ed Balls >whave been obtained by the Daily Telegraph.
The memos show they tried to get Mr Blair to stand down after Labour won a third general election in 2005. Mr Blair said in 2004 that he would not serve a fourth term and Mr Brown was widely expected to succeed him.
Their plan was codenamed Project Volvo, the car Mr Brown's supporters believed voters most associated with him. They show key Brown allies were involved in a rebranding exercise codenamed "Project Volvo".
Mr Brown's supporters met on 21 July 2005, when Mr Blair was dealing with attempted terror attacks on London. It was named after the car Mr Brown's supporters believed voters most associated with him.
BBC deputy political editor James Landale says that - after gossip and memoirs dealing with the same topic - these memos document the extraordinary attempts to oust Mr Blair. BBC deputy political editor James Landale said that - after gossip and memoirs dealing with the same topic - the memos document the scale and detail of negotiations over when Mr Blair would stand down.
"Much of the detail may be for historians but the question is whether any of the revelations damage some of those on Labour's frontbench today who were close to Mr Brown, including the current leader Ed Miliband," our correspondent said. He said that aside from their historical interest, there was also the question of whether any of the revelations could damage some of those on the current Labour frontbench, who were close to Mr Brown at the time, including Ed Miliband.
A Labour source has said that this is all ancient history and that Labour is a party looking to the future, he adds. Labour said the revelations were all "ancient history".
'Muddled''Muddled'
The Daily Telegraph has obtained more than 30 memos belonging to Mr Balls, one of Mr Brown's closest advisers. The Daily Telegraph has obtained more than 30 memos belonging to Mr Balls, one of Mr Brown's closest advisers, although it also names current Labour leader Mr Miliband and shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander as being involved in "Project Volvo".
The paper names current Labour leader Ed Miliband and shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander as co-conspirators. The documents are believed to have disappeared from the Department for Education - Mr Balls' former department - during last year's general election, and an investigation has begun into the leak.
The documents disclose details of secret meetings, opinion polls on Mr Blair's policies and attempts to rebrand Mr Brown's image. They disclose details of secret meetings, opinion polls on Mr Blair's policies and attempts to rebrand Mr Brown's image. They also show Mr Brown's supporters met on 21 July 2005 - the day of attempted terrorist attacks on London.
They also include letters exchanged between Mr Blair and Mr Brown, which provide greater insight into the rivalry at the top of the Labour party. The papers also include letters exchanged between Mr Blair and Mr Brown, which provide greater insight into the rivalry at the top of the Labour party and show them haggling over the terms of a handover of No 10.
The files show them haggling over the terms for a handover of No 10.
In February 2006, Mr Blair wrote to Mr Brown: "You (understandably) want me to go now.In February 2006, Mr Blair wrote to Mr Brown: "You (understandably) want me to go now.
"You need to be the candidate of continuity and change. The second will be relatively easy to do. A different person is, by its nature, change.""You need to be the candidate of continuity and change. The second will be relatively easy to do. A different person is, by its nature, change."
But, said Mr Blair, to be the candidate of continuity would require a "clear demonstration" to the public that Mr Blair, as the embodiment of New Labour, was "working hand in hand with the successor".But, said Mr Blair, to be the candidate of continuity would require a "clear demonstration" to the public that Mr Blair, as the embodiment of New Labour, was "working hand in hand with the successor".
Suggesting a deal under which he would leave in summer 2007, Mr Blair said that in return he would need "full help and co-operation" on key reforms to the NHS, schools, welfare and energy.Suggesting a deal under which he would leave in summer 2007, Mr Blair said that in return he would need "full help and co-operation" on key reforms to the NHS, schools, welfare and energy.
And he warned: "Whilst I remain PM, the final decision has to be mine; and that cannot provoke a breakdown. I will try, at all costs, to avoid disagreement, but there can't be stalemate if it happens."And he warned: "Whilst I remain PM, the final decision has to be mine; and that cannot provoke a breakdown. I will try, at all costs, to avoid disagreement, but there can't be stalemate if it happens."
On a copy of the letter he passed to Mr Balls, Mr Brown scribbled the words "shallow", "inconsistent" and "muddled".On a copy of the letter he passed to Mr Balls, Mr Brown scribbled the words "shallow", "inconsistent" and "muddled".
Mr Blair said in October 2004 that if elected again the following year he would serve a full third term as prime minister, but not seek a fourth.
He also said Mr Brown would be "very capable" of being prime minister and could take over "at the end of a third term".
Mr Blair eventually ended a long period of speculation over his departure date by standing down in June 2007.