LONDON, Feb 5: The ruling Labour Party is said to be making a contingency exit plan for Prime Minister Tony Blair if charges appear likely in the cash-for-honours inquiry.

On Monday media reports to the effect have followed three devastating editorials on Sunday in three highly influential newspapers (The Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Times and The Express) calling on Mr Blair to quit before he brings his party down under his soiled weight.

A report published in the Daily Telegraph on Monday said Tony Blair had provoked fresh anger across much of the Labour Party by making clear he intended to stay silent on his plans to quit until after the elections on May 3.

Mr Blair’s riposte infuriated the growing band of Labour MPs who say his determination to cling to power is causing the party untold damage.

They also fear voters will inflict huge losses on Labour in May’s local elections if Mr Blair has failed to make his intentions clear by then.

Mr Blair’s ability to survive until the summer was called into fresh question by reports that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) believes police may have enough evidence to charge three people with close links to him in the cash-for-peerages inquiry.

Today Mr Blair faces a possible backlash from MPs at the weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Tomorrow he will be subjected to a three hour Commons grilling on policy in front of the Commons liaison committee, made up of chairman of select committees.

Appearing to recognise that the party was in limbo, former home secretary Charles Clarke said Gordon Brown, the hot favourite to succeed Mr Blair, should move quickly to lay out his ideas for the premiership.

Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary, acknowledged that the investigation was damaging, but told ITV: “That is not a reason for the prime minister to be bundled out of office. (He) has given outstanding leadership.”

The Guardian on Monday said it was difficult to understand what Mr Blair thinks he is gaining by remaining as Prime Minister.