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Ed Balls' memos reveal Brown pressure on Blair Ed Balls' memos reveal Brown pressure on Blair
(40 minutes later)
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. Leaked Labour memos have shed new light on efforts by Gordon Brown and his allies to speed up Tony Blair's exit from office after the 2005 election.
Personal papers belonging to the now shadow chancellor Ed Balls have been obtained by the Daily Telegraph.Personal papers belonging to the now shadow chancellor Ed Balls have been obtained by the Daily Telegraph.
Mr Blair said in 2004 that he would not serve a fourth term and Mr Brown was widely expected to succeed him. Mr Blair said in 2004 he would not serve a fourth term as PM and Mr Brown was widely expected to succeed him.
They show key Brown allies were involved in a rebranding exercise codenamed "Project Volvo". The papers also show key allies of Brown were involved in an exercise to rebrand him, codenamed "Project Volvo".
It was named after the car Mr Brown's supporters believed voters most associated with him. 'Brutal' renewal
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.
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.
Labour said the revelations were all "ancient history".
'Muddled'
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 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 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. It was named after the car Mr Brown's supporters believed voters most associated with him - in contrast, they described his rival David Cameron as a "sports car".
The documents are believed to have disappeared from the Department for Education - Mr Balls' former department - during last year's general election.
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 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.
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. In one document, Mr Miliband is listed as being responsible for Gordon Brown's future "policy", and in another, Mr Brown writes that "if we are to renew Labour, we will have to be as rigorous and as brutal as we were in the creation of New Labour".
In February 2006, Mr Blair wrote to Mr Brown: "You (understandably) want me to go now. Division 'killing us'
"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." The papers also include letters exchanged between Mr Blair and Mr Brown, which show them haggling over the terms of a handover of No 10.
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". Despite Mr Blair having said he wanted to serve a full third term, one document, sent to him by Mr Brown, shows the chancellor sought to bring that departure forward.
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. Mr Brown asks Mr Blair to agree to certain commitments, including: "I will make it clear at the 2006 conference it was my last; call for an immediate leadership election to be resolved by December.
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." "I accept that decisions about the party's future beyond 2007 and all public spending decisions after 2007-8 are for you [Mr Brown] to resolve."
On a copy of the letter he passed to Mr Balls, Mr Brown scribbled the words "shallow", "inconsistent" and "muddled". Another handwritten note from Mr Brown appears to be a political wish list, including the phrases "Control of party appointments" and "Public expression of sharing power + management of transition".
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. In February 2006, in response to Mr Brown's handover requests, Mr Blair wrote to his chancellor: "The division at the top is killing us."
He also said Mr Brown would be "very capable" of being prime minister and could take over "at the end of a third term". He acknowledges, "You (understandably) want to end the uncertainty by me going now", but says it would be "corrosive" if Mr Brown was seen to be "disloyal" or "too eager to get his hands on the job".
Mr Blair says he will agree to the timetable for a handover that Mr Brown requested, but that in return he will need "full help and co-operation" on key reforms to the NHS, schools, welfare and energy.
And he warns: "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 Mr Blair's letter he passed to Mr Balls, Mr Brown scribbled the words "shallow", "inconsistent" and "muddled".
Labour said the revelations were all "ancient history".
Mr Blair eventually ended a long period of speculation over his departure date by standing down in June 2007.Mr Blair eventually ended a long period of speculation over his departure date by standing down in June 2007.