David Miliband took his “Blair for President” crusade to the heart of Europe last night as some Labour MPs joined the Conservatives in opposing the prospect of the former Prime Minister getting the job.

In Luxembourg for a meeting of EU foreign ministers, the Foreign Secretary suggested that if they wanted a powerful Europe, Mr Blair was the man to lead it.

The Conservatives are privately raising Mr Blair’s likely appearance before the Iraq war inquiry as an additional reason for his unsuitability and derided Mr Miliband’s claim that he would be a “coalition builder.”

Mark Francois, the Shadow Europe Minister, said: “Tony Blair was a divisive figure in Britain and in Europe as Prime Minister. David Miliband’s claim that he was a great coalition builder shows how desperate Labour are becoming.”

Kate Hoey, the Labour MP for Vauxhall, said that she did not want “anyone to be president of Europe”.

Similarly, Ian Davidson, the Labour MP for Glasgow Southwest, said he still hoped for a referendum in Britain and that the position of president of Europe “will not be created”.

The appointment was not on the agenda for the meeting and will not be in the formal programme for the heads of government summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. But European leaders talk of little else, and Downing Street confirmed that Gordon Brown would be “completely supportive” if Mr Blair were to stand.

Some of the smaller EU nations, notably the Benelux countries, are against Mr Blair on the ground their interests might be overridden.

But Mr Miliband told journalists that it was simply a question of what kind of Europe was wanted. “Unless Europe gets its act together, policymakers in Washington, Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and Beijing and elsewhere are going to conclude that Europe is not ready to be the partner they want. Member states have to ask themselves if they want a powerful or a weak Europe. If they want to establish a strong European voice, then the question becomes, who are the candidates? It would be good for Britain and for Europe if Mr Blair was that man.”

Mr Miliband insisted it was in British interests that the former Prime Minister got the job: “The idea that Britain can be powerful in the world without being powerful in Europe is a joke.I want people around the world to listen to our ideas and to see that Britain is strong in Europe.”

Cecilia Malmstrom, Sweden’s Europe Minister, suggested that the Czech constitutional court was unlikely to give its opinion on the Lisbon Treaty until after this week’s summit, meaning that it will be impossible for them to make a choice at that stage. Even so there is certain to be a debate about the remit of the post.

Asked whether she agreed with Mr Miliband’s view that the new president should be a big figure, she said that the Swedish government had not started formal consultations, since at the moment there was still no legal clarity. She added that all other countries, apart from the UK, were keeping their candidates close to their chests.

Some governments are questioning the wisdom of giving such a top role to an ex-Prime Minister from a country which is not part of the single currency, which has not joined the Schengen open borders system and which has a long history of euro-scepticism.

There are also Mr Blair’s controversial political decisions - not least joining Washington in going to war against Iraq, against the wishes of many European leaders.

But Mr Miliband countered: “This job (of European President) is about what this person can do for Europe in the future. Let’s stick to the future. We need someone who can be a powerful advocate (for Europe in the world), and committed to coalition building.”

Mr Miliband added: “The job is not a prize or award. It is about what this person can do for Europe in the future.You appoint people on merit on the basis of what they can do.What do you want Europe to be in the future? Strong or weak? Who are the candidates? Who is the best candidate.”

So far Mr Blair has said nothing about the job and whether he even wants it. Officially, the president would chair high-level EU ministerial meetings but he is bound to want an international role — possibly sidelining senior EU figures such as José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President.

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