Blinker Brown; BROTHERS GRIM: Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at John Smith's Funeral. Left: Tony Booth and Cherie

Byline: Alan Rimmer, Simon McGee

HE'S the father-in-law who embarrassed Tony Blair on more than oneoccasion during his time in office.

Now Tony Booth has put his foot in it again by lifting the lid on the tensionsbetween the former Prime Minister and his successor in Downing Street.

In an extraordinary knockabout interview with The Mail on Sunday he describeshow Tony Blair dismissed Gordon Brown as a 'blinker' - somebody who is weak ina stand-off.

And Mr Booth says the two men's relationship reached such a low while they wereDowning Street neighbours that Mr Brown once refused to let Cherie Blair carpethis half of the corridor linking No 10 with No 11.

But it is Blair's 'blinker' accusation that will irritate Mr Brown, labelledrepeatedly …

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Publication information: Article title: Blinker Brown; BROTHERS GRIM: Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at John Smith's Funeral. Left: Tony Booth and Cherie. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: The Mail on Sunday (London, England). Publication date: February 17, 2008. Page number: 39. © 2009 Solo Syndication Limited. COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale Group.

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