His former Cabinet colleague revealed he had at various times urged Tony Blair to sack him as Chancellor in another bruising weekend which saw more questions over Mr Brown's ability to lead the party.

The unflattering account, in Mr Prescott's autobiography, followed an attack by Cherie Blair who said her husband would have stood down before the 2005 General Election if Mr Brown had been prepared to back his plans for city academies and foundation hospitals.

Adding more trouble, former Labour fundraiser Lord Levy then repeated his claim that Mr Brown must have known about the secret loans from wealthy party backers which led to the "cash for honours" police inquiry.

There was more gloom with an opinion poll warning that Labour is heading for a damaging byelection defeat in Crewe this week. It showed the Tories on course to make their first by-election gain since 1982.

The survey put the Conservatives on 43 per cent, with Labour on 39 and the Liberal Democrats on 16.

Mr Brown is expected to try to reclaim the political initiative
by setting out his draft Queen's Speech programme for the autumn with promises of new measures on schools and health, but it will be difficult to shake off the negative headlines.

Mr Prescott also said Mr Brown could "go off like a bloody volcano" and that he sulked so often during meetings they had to be scrapped. And in his book, serialised in a Sunday newspaper, he told how Mr Blair had reneged not once, but several times on promises to make way for Mr Brown.

In turn, he said Mr Brown held back government money from Mr Blair's pet projects so he would have more to spend when he became Prime Minister.

He claimed that Mrs Blair thought the longer Mr Brown suffered the better.

Mr Prescott, who says he brokered hundreds of reconciliation meetings between them, said: "I said to him (Mr Brown) 'If this is how you feel, that you've been misled once again, resign.' I think he thought about it, but it never came to that. He was aware of the possible consequences."

He went on: "With Tony, when he was moaning on about Gordon's behaviour, I'd say 'Sack him. Find a new Chancellor if that's how you really feel.' But neither could take the final step."

He thinks Mr Blair was scared of Mr Brown. "He didn't want to take him on. Gordon is a very tough negotiator, doesn't let things drop, keeps at something till he forces you into his point of view. That's not Tony's style."

Foreign Secretary David Miliband – tipped as the most likely successor if Mr Brown were to be forced out – defended the Prime Minister, insisting that he did not recognise Mr Prescott's description. But former Transport Secretary Stephen Byers warned Labour had a "mountain to climb" if it was to regain public support.