Labour is warning that a reduced majority would lead to more influence among left-wing MPs in parliament in a third term.

Senior officials have admitted that they would have a "party management problem" if Tony Blair's Commons lead is reduced to around 50 seats.

And former home secretary David Blunkett has warned against letting the "disaffected in parliament rule".

Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that senior Labour figures fear that the party has not developed a sufficiently coherent attack to tackle the challenge presented by the Liberal Democrats.