Ministers rally round Blair

Senior Cabinet ministers rallied round Tony Blair today as speculation over his premiership intensified.

Dr Reid claimed there was "no doubt" that Mr Blair would lead Labour into the next election - and serve a full term if elected "God willing".

He said senior ministers had been saying for months that the Prime Minister would not quit and that nothing had changed.

His comments followed claims that Mr Blair has told close friends within the Cabinet that he intends to serve a full third term in power if Labour win the next election, expected next year.

The reports, said to come from members of Mr Blair's "inner circle", emerged as he battled on through the most difficult period of his premiership.

They were intended to buttress support around the Prime Minister, who has been beset by problems over Iraq and controversial plans to hold a referendum on the proposed EU constitution.

But the claims only served to heighten speculation that Mr Blair might in fact be planning to step down either this year or after the referendum, with Chancellor Gordon Brown poised to take over.

Downing Street reacted furiously to the reports, with senior aides denying that a senior Cabinet minister had been "sent out" to support a wounded Prime Minister.

"There is no policy of putting out ministers to promote such a message," a spokesman said.

However, Dr Reid was trusted to put out a "steady as she goes" message.

He told Radio 4's Today programme: "I have never been in any doubt about this. Tony Blair will lead us into the next election and, God and the electorate willing, will serve a full third term as the leader of this party and this country.

"It is not a new story at all. This is what people do - they put themselves up for election fully intending to serve a full term."

He said speculation that Mr Blair might be set to quit was "misleading and ill-informed" and added: "I have been giving the same message since at least the Labour Party conference."

If Mr Blair served a full third term, taking him possibly to 2010, he would outlast Margaret Thatcher, who spent 11 years as Prime Minister before being ousted by her own party in 1990.

Dr Reid said: "We have been asked honest questions and we have given honest answers. It has been 'yes' every time we have been asked on this.

"He is the most successful Prime Minister in history in garnering support from the British people." Reports had claimed that in recent conversations Mr Blair had told confidants that he has no intention of going soon, and that he will go into the next election fighting to serve for the full term.

Downing Street, it was suggested, was drawing up a "recovery plan" designed to restore trust in the Government and the Prime Minister's authority.

It would be built around Mr Brown's Comprehensive Spending Review in the summer, a limited Cabinet reshuffle and the autumn Labour Party conference.

At the weekend, former Labour leader Neil Kinnock suggested that Mr Blair might consider "hanging up his boots" after the planned referendum on the European Constitution - likely to be held shortly after the next election.

Labour MPs and peers have been openly speculating about Mr Blair's future for months.

Labour peer Lord Puttnam said: "I think seven years running a country like Britain, with the complexity, and under the pressures of the media environment in which we all are required to live, is about as much as anyone humanly can take, should take, or should be expected to take."

Labour MP George Mudie, a former deputy chief whip who is close to Mr Brown, voiced alarm at the prospect of Mr Blair carrying on.

Mr Mudie said: "I personally would feel slightly sad because I find myself, sadly, increasingly at odds with him as to how he runs the party and his 'Third Way' to politics."

Europe Minister Denis MacShane, interviewed on the BBC2 Newsnight programme, said: "I am just puzzled by this

... the last conversations I had with him were about European substance and policy. I didn't ask him how long I would serve, and he didn't tell me how long he would serve."