It’s been going on for quite a while now, but today we witnessed the latest and probably most direct and telling installment of the ongoing Tony Blair resignation saga. Consider this:

British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday rejected calls from within his party to name a date for his departure but promised to give his successor ample time to settle in before the next election.

Trying to quash unrest in the ruling Labour Party over when he will stand down, Blair promised a smooth transition and backed finance minister Gordon Brown as his chosen successor.

Blair was forced to speak out after dismal local election results and damaging headlines of government incompetence and sleaze sparked calls from long-standing Labour rebels and previously loyal lawmakers for him to clarify the handover.

The fact that Blair is now put on the spot by colleagues and the press alike about ‘a date’ reveals how far we are in the endgame of his days in office. Labour is in now almost in full rebellion, anyone keen to preserve career opportunities is probably well advised to shift allegiance sooner rather than later. And thus we should prepare for Gordon Brown’s ascendancy soon.

Many have pointed to the analogy with Canada where a defiant and successful ten-year stint in office was not sufficient for Jean Chrétien to ward off the coup by his former finance minister, Paul Martin. What is telling is that Martin’s successful attempt to dislodge Chrétien – who like Blair had long outlived his popularity – was not based on any justifiable policy difference or other quantifiable ideological rift, but on the simple logic that it was Martin’s turn. Not the greatest rationale for seeking the highest office in the land, and we have all witnessed the incredible mess that ensued as it became painfully clear that the absence of any sound content turned Martin’s tenure at Sussex Drive into an utterly forgettable one. It was a power grab for power’s sake, nothing more and nothing less.

It is too early to tell whether Brown’s move into Downing Street will yield the same sorry spectacle, but given the relatively late stage of Labour’s tenure and the strength of a resurgent conservative opposition, it may not be a very pretty one.

NOTE: The Times is suggesting an impending coup:

It has long been contended that Mr Brown would never risk a coup against Mr Blair because he does not want to launch his leadership in a sea of blood. Yet if he senses that the Prime Minister is hostile to a smooth succession, then why not opt to challenge? Mr Brown’s mastery of the trade union section of Labour’s electoral college alone is enough to suggest that he would slaughter Mr Blair if they fought for the crown.

UPDATE: More from Andrew Sullivan who also believes Blair should step back, soon.