'No longer a luvvie'

By News Online political correspondent Nick Assinder

Ken Follett's withering assault on his former friend Tony Blair is by far the most personal attack yet on the prime minister's leadership style - and will have sparked fury and consternation in Downing Street.

The millionaire author, once known as the king of the Labour luvvies, has repeated accusations made by other senior Labour figures that Mr Blair is a control freak who lacks the courage to criticise people face to face.

Ken Follett says aides like Alastair Campbell are used to give 'secret briefings' on colleagues

He accuses Mr Blair of using "rent boy" spin doctors - namely Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson - to routinely rubbish colleagues.

And he claims the prime minister lacks any strong inner convictions. But, where others used coded language or blamed those around Mr Blair rather than the prime minister himself, Mr Follett goes straight for the jugular.

He ridicules any suggestion that the prime minister does not personally authorise the secret briefings against out-of-favour colleagues.

And he accuses him of being behind some of the most vicious campaigns against senior figures.

Blunt language

"When we are told that Gordon Brown is psychologically unstable, Mo has failed to recover from her illness, Harriet Harman is thick, Jack Cunningham is lazy, or Neil Kinnock needs to have his ego boosted by being photographed with celebrities, we know the identity of the 'source' from whom the story comes. It's the Prime Minister."

And, in a particularly well-aimed jibe, Mr Follett accuses the prime minister - a deeply religious man - of acting immorally.

Of course, Mr Follett is no longer at the centre of the Blair circle and Downing Street has already attempted to rubbish him as a scorned luvvie seeking revenge.

But his comments will find a ready audience in Westminster, not least on the Labour benches.

What is most damaging for the prime minister is that Mr Follett has spelt out in blunt and vivid language exactly what many Labour figures believe.

Peter Kilfoyle is among the Labour MPs to have criticised Mr Blair

Some - including a fellow architect of New Labour, Lord Tom Sawyer - have voiced their concerns publicly.

And there have been a series of carefully worded attacks on the prime minister's style from former minister Peter Kilfoyle and left-wingers such as Andrew Mackinlay.

But Mr Follett's is by far the most direct attack on the prime minister in person.

Inner circle

The author was once at the heart of the New Labour project and a close friend of Mr Blair's.

He raised millions of pounds for the party before the last general election and was seen as being at the head of the brigade of so-called "Labour luvvies".

He and his wife, Stevenage MP Barbara Follett, certainly dined at Mr Blair's top table and were a central part of the New Labour clique.

The relationship started to turn sour shortly before the election when photographers were tipped off about a party at the Follett's home which was to be attended by the Blairs.

Since then, the relationship has effectively ended and the Follett's are no longer seen as part of the inner circle.

While that may allow Mr Blair to publicly dismiss Mr Follett as one of the "disappointed and disgruntled", it will not weaken the potency of the author's words.

The attack comes as the prime minister is attempting to launch a fightback after his most difficult period since the election and will serve to keep the controversy over spin doctors and Mr Blair's leadership style top of the political agenda.