MY good friend Ashok Kumar certainly seems to have stirred up a hornets' nest with his article in The Northern Echo earlier this week.

For those who missed it, Ashok praised the Prime Minister to the hilt but said the time had now come for him to stand down and allow a smooth and rapid succession by Gordon Brown.

I haven't spoken to Ashok about the article or the aftermath, but I agree with many of his sentiments.

In Australia, the Prime Minister was pressed on whether it was a mistake to have announced prior to the last General Election that he would be leaving office during this term. His response was that the question kept being asked and he felt it was right to be honest and answer it.

Well, I feel the uncertainty surrounding the Prime Minister's future is affecting the country. Mr Blair needs to be honest with us again and tell us precisely when he intends to stand down.

Mr Blair's announcement that he planned to quit secured victory for the party at the last election. The doubters were pacified and the party became united.

But now I get the distinct impression that the rebels have grown in number and their first thoughts during crucial votes are not what is best for the country, but how much damage they can do to Blair.

No doubt some Labour MPs have deep ideological differences with their leader and others have blind hatred for him.

But I think far more are motivated by self preservation. They are already planning for the next election and, with a resurgent Conservative Party snapping at their heels, see votes being lost for every day Mr Blair remains in charge.

You cannot blame them for wanting to secure their future and, of course, the whole point is that Mr Blair doesn't really seem to be in charge anymore.

When I see television coverage of his trips abroad he reminds me of Royalty. It's as if he is carrying out an ambassadorial role whilst, back home, he has no real power.

I'm sure this goes through the minds of major businesses or foreign governments wishing to negotiate with Britain.

Can they be sure that deals struck, agreements reached, will stand the test of time? Should they be speaking to here-today-gone-tomorrow Mr Blair or his heir apparent Mr Brown?

I admire Ashok Kumar for having the guts to come out and say what he did. He is displaying an open honesty which puts other MPs to shame.

Because I do feel that, in the current uncertainty, some other MPs are devoting valuable time and energy to speculating and plotting instead of helping constituents - which is what they are paid to do.

I have been an avid supporter of Tony Blair throughout his time in office. History should judge him as a modernising Prime Minister. He replaced the perceived "harshness" of the Conservative Party with New Labour "fairness", typified by the introduction of the minimum wage and major investment in health and education.

His legacy should be that, after years of doubt, he proved Labour was fit to govern and secured three election victories. But, if he is not careful, his legacy will be as the man whose dithering cost Labour a fourth term.