Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were forced to endure a a barrage of criticism from MPs during last night's meeting of the parliamentary Labour Party.

MPs claimed that the days of headlines about divisions at the top of the government were severely damaging the party's prospects at the general election.

"They [Blair and Brown] are getting a scorching," one of the first MPs to emerge from the meeting told the FT.

A former minister said after the meeting: "They [Blair and Brown] looked chastened. The PLP was banging their heads together. Blair looked surprised by the intensity of the onslaught."

Dale Campbell Savours, a peer, called on the chancellor to deny a claim that he no longer trusted the prime minister - warning that it was likely to feature on Conservative election posters.

The Labour veteran Clive Soley said the people briefing on behalf of both the prime minister and chancellor should be named, while Angela Eagle said the splits suggested that Labour was taking victory for granted.

One MP said after the meeting: "The knives are out for the chancellor; one went between his shoulderpads tonight."

Blair is reported to have said: "I know from everyone here - in Cabinet and government - nothing is going to get in the way of a unified Labour Party, with a unified position and winning a third term people desperately need."

The Times reports that strains between the prime minister and the chancellor could be tested again this week when Blair makes a keynote speech on the economy on Thursday.

However the latest opinion poll reveals that the Cabinet rift has failed to dent Labour's poll lead.

According to the Populus poll for the Times, Labour stands on 38 per cent, five points ahead of the Tories. The Liberal Democrats are standing at 20 per cent, according to the survey. 

But an NOP poll for the Independent points to a significant swing to Labour among Lib Dem and undecided voters in the event of the chancellor assuming the leadership.