The prime minister yesterday appealed to his critics in the Labour Party to give him the "space" to ensure a smooth transition of power.

Tony Blair has faced public calls for his resignation, after the government's majority was slashed by nearly 100.

Of the 23 MPs who spoke at the meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, five were critical of him, with three calling for him to set a date for his departure from Number 10.

Medway MP Bob Marshall-Andrews called for the prime minister to stand down before local elections next May, while Highgate MP Glenda Jackson warned that Blair had been a vote loser.

But the prime minister went on to recall the 1980s in opposition.

"I went through three electoral defeats and stayed loyal," he said. "And through three electoral victories, you should stay loyal."

Meanwhile, the Independent reports that as many as 100 Labour MPs, including some ministers, are in favour of electoral reform. At the meeting, MPs warned the prime minister that he would hasten the party's "political mortality" unless the voting system changed before the next general election.