British Prime Minister Tony Blair has come under fresh pressure as a senior minister suggested he should make way for Gordon Brown before local elections next May.
Geoff Hoon, the Europe Minister, said Labour |Party activists wanted the Prime Minister to quit "on a high" and urged him to stand down while he was "still popular".
Mr Hoon said that forthcoming elections to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and English councils should be a factor in Mr Blair's departure plans.
In an interview with London's Evening Standardnewspaper, Mr Hoon said: "Having set the outer limits of how long he is staying, that still leaves questions in the context of the elections in May. A lot of people will be asking if it makes sense to him to carry on through those elections."
Mr Hoon has previously remained loyal to Mr Blair despite his demotion from Defence Secretary in May's reshuffle in the aftermath of Labour's battering in the local elections.
But today he aligned himself squarely behind the Chancellor, saying: "I think Gordon should be the next leader, so we should think very carefully about who we want to be in place when we face our next poll test."
Mr Hoon, who was speaking on his way to a European meeting to discuss the Middle East, added: "The view among activists is that (Mr Blair) should go out on a high. That should be a factor affecting his decision. He should do it while he's still popular."
Downing Street said it was a "matter for ministers" whether they made comments about the leadership but Mr Blair retained full confidence in Mr Hoon. "He's getting on with the job," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. "That's what he's focused on."