BRITAIN: The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, yesterday ducked questions about his future in office following his heart scare.
Mr Blair was asked at his monthly live TV media briefing how long he intended to stay in number 10 Downing Street and who he wanted to succeed him.
"I think you are chancing your arm a bit," he said smiling to the reporter asking the question. "I mean, I know I had the medical scare at the weekend, but my defences aren't down that much."
Mr Blair shrugged off his policy defeats at Labour's annual conference: "We will carry on with the programme of reform because it is right."
Chancellor Gordon Brown's speech to the conference in Bournemouth was widely interpreted as a leadership bid. Mr Blair said yesterday: "Gordon and I will carry on working in partnership, as we always do.
"On whether I'm going on and on or I'm not going on and on, I refer you to all the answers I have given on previous occasions, which I can't remember off the top of my head but I'm sure you can look them up. I'll just leave it that whatever I said before, I say again."
Mr Blair also refused to be drawn into commenting on the uncertainty over Mr Iain Duncan Smith's future as Tory leader.