|PIC1|It is expected that British Prime Minister Tony Blair will announce his plans to leave office Thursday, following eight resignations from his government.

Initial reports within the media have indicated that Blair will simply confirm what others had originally said – that he will look to step down by the time the 2007 Labour Party conference comes next autumn.

On a day that saw eight junior members of the government resign over Blair’s leadership, former Home secretary David Blunkett released a statement telling Chancellor Gordon Brown’s allies to stop their efforts to make Blair quit now.

Reports have also come out of the most hostile meeting yet between Blair and Brown yesterday, while a close friend indicated that their relationship was now buckling, report the BBC.

Blair immediately branded junior minister, Tom Watson, the most senior member to quit, “disloyal, discourteous and wrong” for offering his signature to a letter calling on Blair to step down.

|AD|Watson and seven other parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs), who are unpaid ministerial aides, were among a number of normally loyal Labour MPs who signed a letter calling on Blair to leave office.

The seven were: Khalid Mahmood, Wayne David, Ian Lucas, Mark Tami, Chris Mole, David Wright and Iain Wright.

Gordon Brown's followers have said that any assurances given by Blair that he will resign in May are "not enough". However, they have strenuously denied that the Chancellor is plotting against the PM.

However, avid Blair supporters have rebutted any such claims by saying calls for him to quit are an orchestrated plot by supporters of Brown. Adding fuel to the debate, Brown has so far refused to comment on the commotion.

Blunkett, however, has told the rebels to “step back from the brink” and back off to avoid a damaging split within the party.

Blair has this year promoted the role of churches and faith schools have to play in British society.