TONY Blair has lost his cool. According to a band of leading figures in the music world, the Prime Minister has betrayed the principles on which he was elected and should no longer be regarded as an honorary member of the ''Cool Britannia'' movement.

The ''band'' is fronted by two Glaswegians, Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, and the head of Creation Records, Alan McGee, who gave #50,000 to Labour's General Election fund.

Gillespie, the singer with Primal Scream whose father once stood as a Labour candidate, said that unlike Tony Blair, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was honest about her ''systematic destruction'' of the trade union movement and working class.

Alan McGee said the Government was making it harder for musicians. Mr McGee serves on Government task-force committees - but refused to go to a meeting with Employment Minister Andrew Smith a fortnight ago in protest at Labour's Welfare to Work policy.

He said he wanted the Government to introduce a scheme to allow young artists to by-pass requirements to take the first job on offer so they could develop their musical skills.

''In a way what Labour are doing - even though deep down in their hearts they are trying to do a good thing - is making it worse for musicians,'' he said.

''On one hand you've got Tony Blair and Chris Smith making this thing about Cool Britannia, but on the other hand they're taking away the means for the next generation of artists and musicians to go away and create.''

Their criticism of Mr Blair, who has hosted showbusiness parties at No.10 to show his commitment to the arts and Britpop, are contained in interviews in the New Musical Express, the pop and music industry newspaper.

The paper has taken a strong stance against Mr Blair with his picture on the front page alongside the headline: ''Ever had the feeling you've been cheated?''

Last night their criticisms were seized upon by the SNP and the Tories.

SNP spokeswoman Kate Higgins said: ''New Labour has spent a great deal of time courting showbusiness personalities. If its record in Government is turning off even pop stars then it is no wonder that Labour is already extremely unpopular among people they are actively attacking- such as lone parents, students, disabled people, local government workers, and all those who depend on local services.''

Tory spokesman on Scottish affairs Dr Liam Fox, a friend of former singer Betty Boo, said: ''They are speaking the truth that dare not speak its name everywhere else, that people feel the Labour election was the greatest electoral con-trick in recent history.''

Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, lead singer in pop-rock group The Reform Club, said: ''It is unwise for politicians to use musical connections to further their careers. Mr Blair was very unwise to go down that path when he wasn't prepared to deliver what they wanted. People aren't going to be fooled by fluff. They want substance.''

The Prime Minister's regular parties have been compared with the Clinton White House and even the Washington court of President John Kennedy in the early 1960s.

Mr Blair has hosted numerous showbusiness parties to show his commitment to the arts and Britpop. Guests included Heather Small and members of her band M People, Dave Stewart, the founder member of the Eurythmics, and Beatles producer Sir George Martin. Oasis star Noel Gallagher attended a No.10 reception.

NME said it was protesting against Labour proposals for curfews for young people, tuition fees, dole payments, and at the Government's refusal to reopen the drugs debate.

Jarvis Cocker, lead singer of Pulp, said he wished the Conservative Party had been re-elected. He said: ''It's worse than if the Tories got in, in a way, because with the Tories you would expect the same old s**t to happen.''

He said it ''made his flesh'' crawl that pop stars get involved in politics and attend Downing Street parties. ''I think music should deal in emotional issues not political ones.''

NME editor Steve Sutherland said the pop stars' comments should be seen as a ''wake up call'' to Mr Blair. ''They are not deserting him and there is no question that they will not support the Labour Party but they are telling him that they are disappointed.

''It's just that things have not gone the way they thought. He came across as concerned about their views when he needed their support but once he got to power he ceased to listen.''

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Mr Blair had not yet found time to read this week's edition of the NME.

But Mr Blair did not accept that lots of young people were disillusioned with the Government.

''He has talked about a post-euphoria, pre-delivery phase and that is the phase we are in,'' the spokesman said. ''What you don't do is elect a new Government and suddenly the world is all put to rights. We have nonetheless made massive change already in relation to the extra money we are getting to schools and hospitals.

''We have a Budget coming up next week that is going to deliver real change.''