In public, a united front. In private, doubts about Blunkett grow

In public, Tony Blair gave David Blunkett a deliberate show of support yesterday. In private, Labour ministers and MPs are wondering how long the troubled Home Secretary can hang on to his job.

The daily diet of revelations about Mr Blunkett's private life, allegations that he abused his office and his candid views on the poor performance of his cabinet colleagues reach an important and potentially dangerous landmark today. It will be exactly 13 days since the Blunkett saga turned from a story about his affair with Kimberly Quinn into one covered by all the newspapers and the broadcasters, after claims that he fast-tracked a visa application by his former lover's nanny.

Downing Street aides have been counting the number of days the media storm has lasted because of what some call "Campbell's law".

The "13-day rule" of Alastair Campbell, Mr Blair's former communications director, is that a damaging story must be closed down before it has run for two weeks because it really starts to register with the public after running for that long.

Although the firestorm around Mr Blunkett shows no sign of abating, Blair aides insisted that the 13 days of bad publicity did not mean the Home Secretary was doomed, and stressed that Mr Blair remained determined to keep him in his post.

But at Westminster, there is a growing expectation that the inquiry into the saga by Sir Alan Budd, the former Treasury adviser, into the visa claims will not draw a line under the affair. There are also signs that his fellow ministers are losing patience with Mr Blunkett, whose criticisms of their work have been revealed in interviews he gave to a biographer.

A Labour minister, who said that the party was monitoring reaction among voters and constituency activists, reported yesterday: "Overall there is sympathy, but it is diminishing a bit. But we are not at a tipping-point yet."

He believed the most damaging claims had not been over the Home Secretary's affair with a married woman, or the saga over the nanny's visa, but over giving Mrs Quinn free rail tickets under a scheme for MPs' spouses.

One Labour MP said: "We are very annoyed that David seems to have a special licence to talk about his cabinet colleagues in such a disloyal and damaging way. If I said anything like that, I would be hauled over the coals by the whips."

Labour MPs are worried that the media storm will not die down while Mr Blunkett pursues his legal action to secure access to Mrs Quinn's two-year-old son, whom he says he fathered. One senior MP said: "Most of us think he can't go on like this while the court case is going on. It's very damaging for him.''

Mr Blunkett has told friends he hopes his life will return to normal by Christmas. But the Tories scent blood and are planning to ensure the controversy runs well into next year.

"We aren't going to let this drop. We'll keep it going until we get him out," said one frontbencher yesterday.

A Labour strategist admitted: "It could become a problem in the new year if it detracts from our key messages in the run-up to the election."

Stephen Pollard, the writer who taped Mr Blunkett's outspoken comments in interviews for his biography, said yesterday: "David's future is clearly in crisis at the moment. The longer it keeps in the news the worse it gets for him. To that extent I feel slightly guilty. But he told me things and I reported them."

On Wednesday, as he arrived for a speech on civic renewal at the British Museum, Mr Blunkett would only tell a camera crew: "It's business as usual ... it's business as usual." But that was far from the case. Usually Mr Blunkett would have been available for TV and newspaper interviews after his speech. Instead he was kept away from journalists while Home Office officials ensured they did not try to "doorstep" their boss.

Media access was again tightly controlled yesterday as Mr Blair travelled to Mr Blunkett's home city of Sheffield to underline his support for the Home Secretary. They did not take questions from waiting reporters and only the Prime Minister was available for short broadcast interviews.

Launching an initiative to make it easier for police to close down pubs and clubs serving alcohol to under-age youngsters, Mr Blair said: "I'm proud to stand beside him and I'm proud to call him my friend."

He added: "I'd like to say what a particular pleasure it is to be with David here. He's been such an outstanding colleague in government and such a good friend for me."

TROUBLED TIMES

28 November:

Home Office announces inquiry after The Sunday Telegraph reveals Mrs Quinn's e-mail suggesting Mr Blunkett "fast-tracked" a visa for her nanny, Leoncia Casalme

29 November:

Tony Blair says that ministers' private lives are separate from their public office. He is accused of pre-judging the Budd inquiry by saying Mr Blunkett "will be exonerated"

30 November:

Mrs Quinn, seven months pregnant, is in hospital suffering from stress caused by the affair

1 December:

Daily Mail reveals that Ms Casalme's application was approved 19 days after she was told it could take a year

2 December:

Mrs Quinn told Ms Casalme that she had a "friend" who might be able to help with her visa, says the Daily Mail

3 December:

High Court rejects Mrs Quinn's attempt to delay paternity hearing until April

4 December:

Daily Mail serialises Stephen Pollard's biography of Mr Blunkett, revealing he spent five nights at Mrs Quinn's side when her son was born

5 December:

It is revealed that Mr Blunkett had a second affair; Mrs Quinn asks for right to give evidence to inquiry; Tories and Lib Dems say he may have to resign

6 December:

Mr Blunkett apologises to cabinet colleagues after the biography reveals his withering assessments of ministers including Gordon Brown, Jack Straw and Tessa Jowell

7 December:

Ms Casalme wants to give her side to the Budd inquiry

8 December:

Michael Howard quotes the Home Secretary's criticisms of his colleagues during Prime Minister's Questions

Yesterday:

Mr Blair and Mr Blunkett travel to Sheffield to launch plans to crack down on alcohol-related crimes. Mr Blair praises his record and forgives him for his criticism of his fellow ministers