Blair 'chipper' at Clarke meeting

Mr Clarke would not be drawn on his own ambitions

Charles Clarke has said speculation Tony Blair thought of quitting is "complete nonsense" but admitted having a private talk to offer his support.

He insisted the premier's position remained strong, after it was learned four Cabinet colleagues lined up last month to bolster his resolve.

The education secretary said he found Mr Blair was "completely chipper, completely up for it" at their meeting.

But Mr Clarke refused to rule himself out of a future Labour leadership race.

Offer of help

Asked on the BBC's Breakfast with Frost programme if "serious candidates" like him and Health Secretary John Reid would run for Labour leader if the prime minister did stand down, Mr Clarke said: "It depends entirely on the circumstances...

"The circumstances of any leadership election in any political party depends on the circumstances of the departure of the outgoing leader and the question of who the candidates are varies significantly."

LEADERSHIP IN CRISIS? 16 May - Cabinet ministers are speculating about the PM's future, Mr Prescott says 29 May - Mr Prescott suggests that Mr Blair could step down mid-term "like Harold Wilson" 3 June - In a TV interview, Mr Blair refuses to endorse Mr Brown as the next PM 20 June - Mr Brown denies the PM is a "liability" for Labour after poor local election results 2 July - Mr Blunkett warns that senior ministers should not covet other people's jobs 7 July - Mr Blair admits the odd row with Mr Brown but says the media magnifies them 10 July - The BBC learns that the PM was considering resignation in June

On their private talk six weeks ago, Mr Clarke said he told Mr Blair: "I strongly supported what he was doing and wanted to do anything I could to help.

"I did that because there was a lot of media speculation at the time, which I thought was a lot of nonsense, about the overall concerns about his leadership.

"In fact the discussion took place for about 30 seconds or a minute because it was very, very clear that he was in fact completely chipper, completely up for it, not rundown at all by all the media speculation, hype that was going on."

Mr Blair had "never contemplated" quitting.

That was a message repeated by Mr Reid who told GMTV: "First of all I do not believe that Tony Blair ever planned to resign - there was no plan, there was no intention for Tony Blair to resign."

Mr Reid said that while "many" in the party had gone to Mr Blair to pledge their support, that did not "constitute pleading or begging with him".

Tessa Jowell and Patricia Hewitt are said to have joined Mr Reid and Mr Clarke in offering their support.

Their intervention came at a time of poor poll ratings, increased violence in Iraq and Labour's dire performance in local elections.

The Sunday Telegraph reports Cherie Blair played a critical role in persuading her husband to continue.

She told him that he should not step down at a time chosen by Gordon Brown, it reports.

An unnamed Blair ally is quoted as saying: "Cherie was not going to allow Gordon to take over this early. She can't stand him."

'No deal'

BBC political editor Andrew Marr said that "underlying tensions in the cabinet are now as bad as at any stage in recent years".

Mr Blair decided to stay on and he is now in steely mood BBC correspondent Andrew Marr Analysis: Bumpy week for Blair

Cabinet gossip was now of a deal between Mr Blair and Mr Brown last November involving the prime minister handing over "around about now".

But the prime minister had told friends this was "absolute rubbish", Mr Marr said.

Mr Blair had come through "something of a long night of the soul about whether to carry on" but was now "in steely mood".

Last month, the prime minister said he was "absolutely up for" the next general election.

"You have got to have the support of the people and that's decided in an election," he said.

This week Mr Blair faces the publication of the Butler report into intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

The findings will be published on Wednesday, on the eve of key by-elections for Labour in Birmingham Hodge Hill and Leicester South.