London, Sept 11 (ZEENEWS.COM) Chances of Chancellor Gordon Brown succeeding Tony Blair as next British Premier seem to have dimmed amid indications that at least 10 Cabinet Ministers are discussing backing any candidate other than him and also that the Prime Minister will not give his personal endorsement to him, the media here said today.

Senior government figures are threatening to turn the contest into a bitter referendum on Brown's personal integrity after last week's vicious bout of infighting, according to 'The Observer'.

They spent Friday discussing the choice of candidate and the mechanics of putting together a bid after concluding they could no longer support the chancellor, the report said.

Cabinet Ministers spoke to The Observer before Blair's warning yesterday for both sides to suspend damaging personal attacks - in which he also surprisingly let it slip that he expected the next election to be in 2009. The Prime Minister also condemned the "irredeemably old-fashioned" machine politics of MPs plotting against him.

The Sunday Times in a report damaging Brown's chances of realising his dream, claimed that the chancellor met Tom Watson, the Junior Defence Minister who was the first to resign urging Blair to step down at his residence.

The revelation that Brown met one of the ringleaders of the failed coup to unseat Blair would fuel suspicions that the plot was orchestrated by the chancellor's camp, the report claimed. It said Blair and his advisers already suspected that Brown and his allies were linked to the letter, which was signed by 15 Labour MPs.

The meeting at Brown's home in North Queensferry, Fife, in Scotland took place the day before the rebels sent their letter demanding Blair "stand aside" at no. 10.

The report quoted Watson as saying yesterday: "I dropped a present for the new baby (of Brown). I saw Gordon, but it was a purely social visit and just stayed for a cup of coffee. I did not discuss any letter and it would have been inappropriate to do so."

A spokesman for Brown said: "He dropped in to see Fraser (new born baby of Brown). There were no discussions on what was happening in London. They spent the entire time sitting in the living room with Sarah (chancellor's wife) just playing with the baby."

The newspaper report said while the chancellor has called off hostilities, others close to him believe the current truce is unsustainable and that a contest would come sooner rather than later. Downing Street sources said Blair had telephoned Cabinet Ministers and others close to him yesterday to ask for a period of self-restraint.

Meanwhile, a surprise attack on Blair came today from a minister close to Brown.

Harriet Harman, the Constitutional Affairs Minister, said Blair's foreign policy, particularly on Iraq and close relations with the US, had been a "symbol of mistrust and division" and was a sign that the government does not listen.