Blair Refuses to Rule Out Clarke's Departure

This is explosive stuff...

In an interview for the News of the World tomorrow Tony Blair will say there are "no excuses'' for the mistaken release of hundreds of foreign prisoners. He refused to guarantee Charles Clarke would survive the fall-out. He said that the future of the Home Secretary"depends on what happens'' as efforts continue to track down the criminals and trace any reoffending. Mr Blair said he had had no hesitation in refusing Mr Clarke's offer to resign over the affair because the Home Secretary had been trying to sort it out. But asked whether his view would change if one of those released committed a serious crime, he said: "I don't think I'm going to speculate. It depends on what happens, what the reasons are.'' Asked for his initial reaction to being told about the releases, Mr Blair said: "The reaction you'd expect - pretty angry about it". Asked if he had not hesitated to keep Mr Clarke in place, he said:"Yes, because my point is: in the time he's been Home Secretary has he been trying to sort it out? Actually he has.'' It was a "fair point'' to ask at what point a politician became responsible, he conceded. "But he has been acting on it. That's where I disagree with people who say he's ignored it. He hasn't.'' Hattip for graphic to Beau Bo D'Or