'I don't want to go on and on, but I do want to finish the job'

Published on Friday 1 October 2004 01:38

TONY Blair chose a one-to-one interview with Andrew Marr, the BBC’s political editor, to reveal the extent of his health problems and his intention to stand down before a fourth election as Prime Minister.

Asked what the heart "flutter" was like, Mr Blair said: "It’s not particularly alarming but it’s just something you should get fixed and so it’s what they call a routine procedure that’ll be done tomorrow."

He added: "I’ve actually had it for the last couple of months and it’s obviously not impeded me doing my work and feeling fine but it’s as well to get it done. It fixes it which is the main thing."

Mr Blair said he had given some thought to the question of how long he should go on as Prime Minister and he wanted to make his position clear.

He said: "If I am elected I would serve a full third term. I do not want to serve a fourth term. I think I can still make a real contribution to this country.

"I don’t think the British people want a prime minister to go on that long, but I think it’s sensible to make plain my intention now. I think it is unusual but I think the political process and the public in particular are mature enough to accept that it’s a sensible thing to declare your intention to fight the third term, to declare that you’re going to stand a full term and you’re not suddenly going to give up a few months or a year or so into the parliament."

He added: "Obviously there’s all sorts of things that can happen. What’s important to say is I want to put myself forward for the next election. If the British people, it’s their decision, if they elect me, I feel I’ve still got lots more to do and to give, then I want to serve the third term. But I think it’s sensible now to say, frankly, I would not go on and on and on to serve a fourth term."

Mr Blair then stated: "The decision as to who is the prime minister of the country is the decision of the British people - they’re the boss ... But if I am elected I would serve a full third term. I do not want to serve a fourth term."

Asked about the chances of Gordon Brown succeeding him as Prime Minister, he said: "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 if he took over at the end of a third term.

"I don’t think the British people would want a prime minister to go on that long but I think it’s sensible to make plain my intention now."

Asked whether his intention to stay on as PM was unfair to Gordon Brown, Mr Blair said: "I have huge respect for Gordon. I’m sure there’s lots of people who want to do the job and I think he’s very capable of doing it, don’t misunderstand me at all."

Continuing his interview with Marr, Mr Blair said he would put himself forward for the full term.

He said: "If you put yourself forward, you have got to put yourself forward for the full term. I think the important thing is to make it clear to people and give them some certainty.

"I think people are mature enough to accept that it would not be sensible for a Prime Minister to think they can go on for four terms. I don’t want to go on and on and on but I do want the chance to finish the job that was started.

Mr Blair said he would not want to go on for a fourth term because: "The country would not want me to, I would not want me to and my family would not want me to."

He continued: "The only basis you can put yourself forward for is that you are going to do it. You can’t say ‘I’m going to put myself forward for election, somebody else is going to do it’."

Later, he said: "I’m not going to be arrogant about it or think this is something that’s my God-given right to do. I don’t think that at all but I do actively have passion in what I’m doing and I believe I can still make a real contribution to this country."