Blair would serve a full third term

&to=http:// english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/98/387/10531_Blair.html ' target=_blank>Tony Blair has been urged to quit as prime minister early into his third term, days after Labour's election win.

Despite securing a historic third victory, the government's Commons majority was slashed from 161 to 67. Several Labour MPs have called for Mr Blair to resign as a "liability", among them former minister Frank Dobson.

However, senior party figures including David Blunkett and Peter Hain have rallied in support of Mr Blair, urging MPs to "get behind" their leader.

Downing Street has said there is "no change" from Mr Blair's statement last year that he would serve a full third term, tells BBC News. Britain's chancellor of the treasury, Gordon Brown, dubbed the "iron chancellor" for his strict stewardship of the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2001/07/25/10894.html ' target=_blank>British economy, is widely regarded as the prime minister in waiting, after playing a key role in Tony Blair's re-election campaign.