Tony Blair’s latest innovation in government has been met with mixed reactions from senior ministers, Downing Street officials reported yesterday.

Under the new system, all cabinet members must remove their clothing, with the exception of socks, wristwatches and glasses, before attending their weekly meetings with the Prime Minister.

“Nudity is the only way to ensure a smooth and open political process,” the country’s leader stated. “How are we to be honest with each other, and by association with the people who we represent, if we hide behind suits and shirts and ties and Calvin Klein boxer shorts?”

Subsequently, before last Friday’s meeting, heating in the offices was turned up to a level more conducive to nakedness, and clothing rails were provided for the country’s most powerful men to disrobe before convening to discuss important matters of state.

Asked for comment afterwards, several ministers were positive about the change. Nick Brown, Secretary of State for Agriculture, told reporters: “We had a very good cabinet, aided in no small part by the exposure of our pale, untoned bodies to full view. It focuses the mind wonderfully.”

Jack Straw also pronounced himself in full favour of dress-free conferences, saying: “Some of my honourable friends seemed uncomfortable with discussing economic affairs as nature intended, but it is my personal belief that those who have nothing to hide, have nothing to fear.”

Straw did confess to being taken aback by some unusual piercings, but refused to disclose which member had been modified.

“Whilst body modification is not my own cup of tea, I am a firm believer in ‘each to his own’,” he said. “I am sure that what I think is called a ‘Prince Albert’ will in no way hinder the gentleman in question in his day to day government business.”

“Overseas,” he added.

The all-nude, all-the-time meetings were not to everybody’s taste, though. Among the dissenting voices was that of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

“No useful purpose can be served by holding these essential meetings in the buff,” he read from a prepared statement. “It is distracting in the extreme to provide briefing on current transport policy, with particular reference to the ongoing refurbishment of Britain’s railway network, with an unfamiliar breeze wafting around one’s family jewels.”

Prescott insisted that there was no truth in the rumour being circulated by certain junior cabinet office civil servants that he has a small cock.

Chancellor Gordon Brown also criticised Blair for introducing the nakedness initiative. Although being unavailable for comment, a leaked memo from his desk reveals that he spent the entire meeting trying to avoid staring directly at his colleagues’ genitalia for fear that they would think he was “funny that way”.

Blair himself remains unbowed, and insists that once the new format has been accepted, as he is sure it will, he will table a motion in the House Of Commons to introduce Naked Wednesdays. In that event, the Strangers’ Gallery will be closed to the public.