US-UK rift appears to widen as Blair criticizes Bush

In the wake of the Israel-Lebanon violence, British lawmakers and Blair himself appear to be getting more vocal about their dissatisfaction with White House policy. But the prime minister is facing increased accusations that his recent opposition to White House policy, particularly in the Middle East, is just an attempt to salvage his own career.

The alliance between George Bush and Tony Blair is in danger after it was revealed that the Prime Minister believes the President has 'let him down badly' over the Middle East crisis.

A senior Downing Street source said that, privately, Mr Blair broadly agrees with John Prescott, who said Mr Bush's record on the issue was 'crap'.

The source said: "We all feel badly let down by Bush. We thought we had persuaded him to take the Israel-Palestine situation seriously, but we were wrong. How can anyone have faith in a man of such low intellect?"

The disclosure comes ahead of a mini recall of Parliament to allow MPs to vent their fury over Mr Blair's handling of Israel's war with Hezbollah and whether the recent terror plot in Britain was affected by his role in the Iraq war.