Headlines question the PM's leadership

THE story of Downing Street, the BBC and a dead defence expert captured the headlines around the world yesterday, as questions were raised about the leadership of Tony Blair, the Prime Minister.

What began as a very British row blew up into a major global story as the accusation that Tony Blair has "blood on his hands" was repeated by the world’s media.

Newspapers from Los Angeles to Islamabad carried details of the Iraq dossier spin saga, which was uniformly described as the biggest threat to the Prime Minister’s administration since he swept to power in 1997.

In the United States, the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe were among the newspapers which reported how Mr Blair had stared in silence after being challenged about any influence he may have had in the death of Dr David Kelly.

In Europe, too, newspapers were full of the tale of how a government adviser had committed suicide in the middle of a Downing Street investigation into his off-the-record briefing to the BBC.

Il Giorno, an Italian newspaper, said the suicide "threatens to unleash a political storm with unpredictable consequences".

In France, Le Monde described Dr Kelly as a "government scapegoat". Its rival, Le Figaro agreed: "His ghost may well haunt the corridors of power, the Defence Ministry and Downing Street in particular for a long time to come."

Even in South Korea, Mr Blair was unable to escape the news. His tour was "overshadowed by the worst crisis of his political career", said Japan Today.