Heart operation for Blair

Published on Friday 1 October 2004 01:38

Key points

• Blair insists he will stay for full third term despite heart operation

• Blair to undergo catheter ablation procedure for persistent heart flutter

• Brown’s leadership ambitions curtailed by Blair’s retirement timetable

Key quote

"If I am elected, I would serve a full third term. I do not want to serve a fourth term - I do not think the British people would want a Prime Minister to serve so long - but I think it’s sensible to make plain my intention now" - Tony Blair

Story in full TONY Blair will be admitted to hospital today for more treatment for his irregular heartbeat, but last night declared his intention to stand down only at the end of another term in office.

The Prime Minister is to have a two-and-a-half hour procedure known as catheter ablation carried out under a local anaesthetic aimed at eliminating the source of his persistent heart flutter.

But, in an extraordinary statement, he declared that he would not stand down half-way through a third term and intended to stay in Downing Street for a further five years - dismaying the leadership ambitions of Gordon Brown, the Chancellor.

In a series of TV interviews, Mr Blair, 51, said that, since his first heart scare last October, his irregular heartbeat had continued and it requires further treatment administered by a thin wire, inserted into the leg and guided by X-ray towards the heart.

"It’s not particularly alarming. But it’s just something you should get fixed. It’s what they call a routine procedure," he told the BBC’s political editor Andrew Marr.

The surgery would not cast serious doubts on Mr Blair’s ability to carry on. He said: "If I am elected, I would serve a full third term. I do not want to serve a fourth term - I do not think the British people would want a Prime Minister to serve so long - but I think it’s sensible to make plain my intention now."

To illustrate this, 10 Downing Street disclosed that Mr Blair has bought a house in Connaught Square, in Mayfair, where he will spend his retirement with Cherie, his wife.

But the disclosure that he will carry on working until the end of a third term - suggesting a departure date of Christmas 2008 - will dismay Mr Brown, who is two years older than the Prime Minister.

But Mr Blair said he decided to disclose the extent of his political ambition to make clear that there had been no "deal" to stand down early.

He said: "There have been stories that I will stand for election then stand down in year one or year two. I’m clear that I’m not going to do that, I’m going to serve a full third term."

By the time Mr Blair comes to retire, the Chancellor would be 57. Alan Milburn, tipped as Mr Brown’s main rival, would be 50. Mr Blair was challenged about whether he was being fair on the Chancellor by asking him to wait another five years.

"I have a huge respect for Gordon. I’m sure there’s lots of people want to do the job - I think he’s very capable of it, don’t misunderstand me at all - I don’t think it rules Gordon out in any shape or form at all, he’d be younger than many prime ministers have been."