John Prescott’s political future was looking increasingly uncertain today as more Labour MPs joined public calls for his resignation as Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Prescott, who remains officially in charge of Britain while Tony Blair is on holiday in Italy, faced growing criticism from within party ranks over the pay and privileges he enjoys despite having no clearly-defined ministerial role.

The Tories attempted to capitalise on Mr Prescott's woes today by publishing a handbook issued to staff at his former Whitehall department whose guidelines, they claim, he breached in his affair Tracey Temple, then his diary secretary.

The 1,000-page rulebook warns staff against making improper use of official accommodation and furniture and discourages "leering or lewd gestures".

Amid the rising clamour from political allies and opponents that he has become a national laughing stock, Mr Prescott, however, spent the day concentrating on the UK’s relief efforts for the victims of the Indonesian earthquake.

After meetings at Downing Street, he signed a book of condolence at the Indonesian Embassy and confirmed there were no reports of British casualties.

Attention, though, remained fixed on Mr Prescott's political future which some commentators believe is far from secure.

Labour unease at Mr Blair's decision to strip Mr Prescott of his department but keep him as Deputy Prime Minister with a £133,000 salary and two grace-and-favour homes became clearer over the weekend after the publication of a picture of Mr Prescott playing croquet at his official country estate at Dorneywood in Buckinghamshire.

Senior Labour MP Ian Gibson said today: "What matters to the person in the street is what he is doing, what is his job. He has all the fringe benefits and so on but yet it’s not clear what his position is. I think that’s what makes people cynical about politics and John perhaps in particular."

Calder Valley MP Christine McCafferty said Mr Prescott should quit to allow Labour to re-engage with women voters furious that he had apparently been rewarded after admitting the affair.

Derek Wyatt, the usually loyal Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, said Mr Prescott’s position was "untenable".

Ealing North MP Stephen Pound said constituents were questioning Mr Prescott’s position and suggested that the Deputy Prime Minister did not have long left in his post.

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