Blair brickbat brings Labor to a boil

LONDON, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- The revelation of a critical memo written by former Prime Minister Tony Blair is a sharp blow to incumbent Gordon Brown, political observers in Britain say.

The memo slammed Brown for allegedly botching an ongoing political clash with Labor Party rivals.

The Times of London reported Sunday the memo came out in the aftermath of Brown's decision to not hold a snap election at a time when Cabinet members David Miliband and Alan Johnson are shaping up as powerful rivals.

The Telegraph said the memo had created uproar on both sides with Brown's critics demanding an overhaul of Labor policies, while Brown's defenders in Parliament call on Blair to stay out of it.

At the same time, according to Sunday's Guardian, a noisy dispute has broken out within the party between supporters of Miliband and critics who say he is trying to return the country to Blair-era policies.