Blair braces for poll pounding02/05/2006 08:15 - (SA)
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London - British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government was still struggling to shake off accusations of incompetence and sleaze on Tuesday, just two days ahead of local elections.
British newspapers said Labour Party chiefs were preparing for heavy losses in Thursday's polls. The deputy and interior ministers are facing calls to quit in separate sex and prisoner scandals.
"Blair is braced for a bloodbath," wrote George Pascoe-Watson, political editor of The Sun, Britain's biggest-selling tabloid.
Blair is expected to reshuffle his embattled cabinet after the elections in a bid to regain public confidence.
Blair's own job also looks increasingly vulnerable. The recent wave of political crises battered support for his government and increased calls for Blair to fulfil a pledge to step down.
His deputy prime minister, John Prescott, 67, owned up to a two-year affair with his diary secretary, 43, last week. The admission prompted calls for him to resign.
A second woman has since claimed he seduced her and a third has accused the married father-of-two of sexual harassment.
Clarke is likely to face the chop
There was more bad news for the heavyweight Prescott in The Sun on Tuesday, which quoted an air hostess who accused him of being a "sex pest" who made bawdy remarks when she offered him some fruit on a trans-Atlantic flight.
British home secretary Charles Clarke's job is also on the line after his ministry failed to consider more than 1 000 foreign criminals for deportation after they were released from jail.
Political commentators see this scandal as much more serious than Prescott's sexual transgressions, and Clarke is considered most likely to face the chop.
Blair has turned down the home secretary's resignation offer twice. Clarke is adamant he will stay on to sort out the mess.
The Times newspaper said the home office was suffering "systematic management failure".
Clarke knew for more than three weeks
A Times editorial read: "Clarke would like to believe that he will remain at the helm, though his prime minister knows that one seriously embarrassing incident involving a putative deportee will be the end of him."
The newspaper speculated on who could replace Clarke should he resign or be pushed aside in a cabinet reshuffle. British Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton was the favourite, but "best placed to do the deed" said The Times, is Alan Johnson, the trade and industry secretary and a potential prime minister.
Officials confirmed on Monday that Clarke knew for more than three weeks - before telling Blair - that prisoners convicted of serious crimes were among the 1 023 foreign offenders mistakenly released.
Conservative home affairs spokesperson, David Davis, said he wanted Clarke to update MPs on the situation in the country's parliament on Tuesday.
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