BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR'S SWIFT OVERHAUL OF HIS GOVERNMENT AFTER DISMAL LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS FAILED TO REASSURE CRITICS WITHIN HIS LABOUR PARTY WHO CALLED FOR HIM TO MAKE CLEAR WHEN HE WILL STEP DOWN, REUTERS REPORTED. A DAY AFTER BLAIR'S WHOLESALE SHAKE-UP, WOULD-BE SUCCESSOR FINANCE MINISTER GORDON BROWN REPEATED HIS CALL FOR URGENT CHANGE IN THE PARTY FOLLOWING THE ELECTION ROUT. "WE'VE HAD A WAKE UP CALL," BROWN TOLD GMTV TELEVISION. "WE'VE HAD A SIGNAL THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED AND THAT MAKES IT MORE URGENT WE DO WHAT WE'VE GO TO DO -- AND THAT IT IS TO RENEW OURSELVES TO DEAL WITH THESE CHALLENGES AHEAD." BLAIR, WHO WAS ELECTED FOR A THIRD SUCCESSIVE TERM IN 2005, HAS SAID HE WILL NOT FIGHT THE NEXT NATIONAL ELECTION DUE BY MID-2010 BUT WANTS TO SEE THROUGH HIS REFORM AGENDA. BROWN, WHO HAS BEEN FINANCE MINISTER SINCE 1997 AND LONG COVETED THE TOP JOB, SAID HE WOULD TALK TO THE PRIME MINISTER THIS WEEKEND ABOUT HOW TO REVITALISE THE PARTY AND WIN BACK VOTERS AFTER THE POOR LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS. LABOUR LOST 319 COUNCIL SEATS IN THURSDAY'S LOCAL AUTHORITY ELECTIONS WHILE THE CONSERVATIVES WON 316, THEIR BEST RESULT SINCE 1992. ANALYSTS HAD SAID MORE THAN 200 LOSSES WOULD BE BAD. SOME LABOUR LAWMAKERS SAID ON SATURDAY THAT UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP, ON TOP OF ACCUSATIONS OF SLEAZE AND POLITICAL BUNGLING, WAS SAPPING VOTER CONFIDENCE AND HAD DEALT THE PARTY A SERIOUS BLOW AT THE BALLOT BOX THIS WEEK. "THERE REALLY IS A NEED FOR CHANGE RIGHT AT THE TOP NOW," LAWMAKER GERALDINE SMITH TOLD THE BBC. "THE CHANGE THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS ACTUALLY TONY BLAIR ANNOUNCING WHEN HE IS GOING TO STAND DOWN AND HAVE A PROPER TIMETABLE AND AN ORDERLY TRANSITION OF POWER." --MORE 2218 Local Time 1918 GMT
