Tory leader David Cameron has been accused of "caving in" to pressure from his party and performing a U-turn over his policy on grammar schools.
Education Secretary Alan Johnson said Mr Cameron had been forced into a "humiliating" climbdown after a second senior Tory defended the selective state school system.
Shadow cabinet member Dominic Grieve spoke out in favour of opening more grammar schools in an article in his local newspaper.
And the Tories' former Europe spokesman Graham Brady, who resigned over the row on Tuesday, accused Mr Cameron of being "blinded by ideology" on the issue.
Mr Cameron has said dropping the party's commitment to create more selective schools was essential if the party wanted to be "a serious force for Government and change".
Shadow attorney general Mr Grieve, MP for Beaconsfield, told the Buckinghamshire Examiner in an article published on May 26: "Our local schools are very good and provide excellent education for the students.
"This is why I am pleased that although my own party is looking at ways of improving education nationally, through reforming the existing comprehensive system, there is no question of us changing the selective education system in Buckinghamshire against the wishes of the local community."
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Brady accused the party of turning their backs on "rational" education policy in their desire to make Mr Cameron appear the "heir to Blair".
The various statements were seized on by the Education Secretary, who accused Mr Cameron of failing the leadership test he set himself.
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Mr Johnson said: "After two weeks of pressure from his unchanged and unreformed party, David Cameron has caved in. This is abject surrender from David Cameron who said only last week: 'I lead. I don't follow my party, I lead them'."
