Blair's popularity plunges after scientist's death

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's popularity has plunged after a government scientist's apparent suicide, an opinion poll showed yesterday amid intense media speculation that his closest aide would resign.

The fallout from the death of government scientist Dr David Kelly, fatally embroiled in a row over the case for going to war in Iraq, has proved disastrous for Blair and provoked the worst crisis of his six-year premiership.

The latest opinion poll in the Daily Telegraph showed that 61 per cent of voters felt the Labour government seemed to have lost control and was at the mercy of events.

Sixty-eight per cent said there was a culture of deceit and spin at the heart of government, a damning condemnation of Blair's communications chief Alastair Campbell, his right-hand man who has been dubbed Britain's real deputy prime minister.

Nearly half of those canvassed for the poll said they could not believe a word Blair said as questions kept mounting over why Britain went to war in Iraq.

Kelly, a weapons expert, was found dead in woods near his home a week ago. He had bled to death from a slashed wrist.

He was forced into the media spotlight after telling his Defence Ministry bosses he may have been the source behind a BBC report which claimed Blair's government had exaggerated intelligence about banned Iraqi weapons to make a case for war.

The BBC war of words with the government showed no signs of slowing yesterday after Blair's Downing Street office rubbished as "wishful thinking" a BBC report that Campbell had told Blair he wants to step down.

The BBC said Campbell had told Blair he wished to leave - but not before his name was cleared by a judicial inquiry into Kelly's death.

"I am in no doubt at all, that as we are now, Alastair Campbell is determined to go, that the prime minister knows that and has agreed that," BBC political editor Andrew Marr said.

The BBC story provoked a frosty response from Blair's office which said: "This is the latest example of the BBC focusing on gossip rather than substance."