Downing Street denies 'shambles' memo

Number 10 has denied any connection with a memo published in a Sunday newspaper which suggests the government is seen as a "shambles".

The Mail on Sunday published an internal memo, apparently penned by Tony Blair's senior advisers, which says the public perceive the Labour Party to be suffering from "internal conflicts".

It says the government shows a "lack of grip" on key issues such as Iraq, the NHS and immigration.

And it also warns that chancellor Gordon Brown's position is "eroding" against David Cameron's Tory party.

It says Labour is running out of time to avoid electoral disaster and suggests the party needs to move to the "next generation" by picking a younger leader than Brown to replace Blair when he steps down next year.

But the prime minister's spokesman said: "This is not a Downing Street memo."

He added: "It was not written by any of the prime minister's staff and it most certainly does not reflect his views."

Deputy prime minister John Prescott also dismissed the memo and suggested its author might be a party underling.

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday AM programme, Prescott said: "It's been emphatically denied by Number 10 that it is anybody in Number 10.

"I can't be sure that it might not be a teenybopper on the side giving some kind of information and advice."

Downing Street sources also insisted that the memo had not been prepared by any of the prime minister's special advisers or other Labour Party-funded staff in his personal office.