Tony Blair's presumed successor Gordon Brown denied on Sunday he was behind a plot to oust the British prime minister but newspapers said last week's row meant there might now be a fight for the premiership.
Several newspapers reported that members of Blair's cabinet were now looking for "anyone but Gordon" as a successor because they suspected him of disloyalty towards his boss.
Brown, finance minister since Blair and the Labour Party took power in 1997, drew fire from within the party for remaining silent for days while Labour members of parliament wrote a letter demanding that Blair should quit.
Eight of the signatories later resigned their junior government posts. Blair responded by saying he was planning to go within a year but would have wished to make the announcement on his own terms.
Polls show the crisis has wounded Blair. But Brown may have suffered more than his boss for appearing disloyal and over-eager to take power.
Brown said he would welcome a contest for the leadership. He denied he knew in advance about the letter and would not have encouraged his followers to sign it. "If anybody asked me about the contents of that letter, I would have said it is ill advised," Brown told BBC television's weekly Sunday morning programme.
"I have always said to Tony, the decision (when to leave office) is for him. I know he will make it in the interest of the party, but, more importantly, in the interest of the country." Blair himself was circumspect. Asked at a news conference on a visit to the Middle East if he thought Brown was behind the plot, Blair said: "Of course I accept the assurances given". But he dodged questions about whether he still wanted Brown to succeed him.