Blair: I'm not going anywhere

Blair: Happy to endorse Gordon Brown as successor

Tony Blair has said he wants to see his election manifesto put into action before he steps down as prime minister.

Mr Blair has said he will leave Downing Street before the next election - but has refused to name a date and is signalling he could stay for years yet.

He told The Sun newspaper: "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here and I'm going to see the whole programme through."

But he said he was "absolutely happy" that Chancellor Gordon Brown would be his successor.

"He needs the confidence of knowing he will succeed me and that's fair enough," he added.