THREE of Gwent's Labour MPs today gave prime minister Tony Blair their backing to stay on as party leader.

Blair is coming under fire from some backbench MPs who have called for him to stand down for the good of the Labour party.

A number of backbenchers think Blair should make way for a new leader and said the PM was a 'liability' in the election campaign because of the war in Iraq.

Among those calling for the PM to go are former cabinet heavyweights Frank Dobson and Robin Cook.

But Gwent's Labour MPs today backed the Prime Minister and said he should stay until he feels it is the time to go.

Newport East MP Jess Morden, Gwent's first ever woman MP, said: "I don't think he should go. He said he will stand down at some stage but I think this talk is premature. Tony Blair has just won an historic third term. The electorate have backed him so I think the back benchers should back him too."

A spokesman for Torfaen MP Paul Murphy said he too fully supports the Prime Minister and does not back calls for him to go.

Islwyn MP Don Touhig said: "The electorate has given Labour a mandate and it's a matter for the Prime Minister to decide when he's going to leave. Any change will need to be done in the most orderly fashion so Labour doesn't have any splits. He has made it clear he is going to stand down eventually but when is a matter for him."

Out of the Gwent Labour MPs, only Newport West's Paul Flynn refused to comment.

However, Mr Flynn last week called for Mr Blair to stand down because of the Iraq war issue and claimed the Prime Minister's personality had caused major problems during the campaign.

And former Labour party member and new Blaenau Gwent MP Peter Law said Blair must go.

"I think the time has come for him to stand down," he said. "I think people are fed up with the spin and insincerity. We saw a reaction to that in the election."