In an effort to restore order, Mr Blair rebuked Tom Watson, a junior defence minister who was the most senior of the signatories, and summoned Mr Brown to Downing Street for a meeting at 9am on September 6th.

ECONOMIST: Tony Blair

On Tuesday, the prime minister, Defence Secretary Des Browne, Veterans Minister Tom Watson and Mr Brown will meet veterans from almost 40 groups and from "as broad a range of experience, service and age as possible", Tony Blair has said.

BBC: NEWS | UK | First Veterans' Day Lottery boost

The revelation that Tom Watson, the most notable of the signatories and an acolyte of Mr Brown's, visited the chancellor at home in Fife the day before the letter was faxed to Downing Street is deeply embarrassing for the chancellor.

ECONOMIST: The strange end of Tony Blair

The new material on this today was an account by Tom Watson, the Labour Party's deputy chairman, of a recent conversation with Mr Neville Thurlbeck, former chief reporter of the News of the World, in which Mr Thurlbeck said that he had been assured by Tom Crone that Mr Murdoch had seen the "For Neville" email.

BBC: James Murdoch 'knows nothing'