Pressure for a young challenger to take on Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership has intensified as the Chancellor unveiled his campaign team.
Key Tony Blair ally Peter Mandelson warned that the party needed its new leader to "emerge from nowhere" - seized on as an appeal to David Miliband to force a contest.
His intervention came amid reports - denied by Number 10 - that the Prime Minister had told close colleagues he believed the Environment Secretary could win a fight to succeed him.
But the Brown camp - which it was announced will be led by Commons Leader Jack Straw - hit back by revealing it already had several young Blairite MPs on board.
And Mr Miliband was reported to be angry at the renewed suggestions he should put himself forward.
"I've been saying for nearly three years that we have an excellent PM in Tony Blair and an excellent Prime-Minister-in-waiting in Gordon Brown and nothing has changed to alter my position," he told the Daily Mirror.
Mr Straw said he had "no doubt" Mr Brown had the best combination of experience and vision to succeed Tony Blair.
