Tory leader gets the upper hand over PM's refusal to back Brown as his successor

TONY Blair yesterday repeatedly refused to endorse Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, as his successor, as David Cameron exploited Labour's divisions to inflict a Commons mauling on the Prime Minister.

In their first parliamentary clash since the summer recess, the Conservative leader left Labour MPs stony-faced as he landed repeated blows.

Reminding Mr Blair that, in January, he said he was "absolutely happy" to see Mr Brown succeed him, Mr Cameron asked if he stood by that. Mr Blair replied only that "I do not resile from anything that I have said", before trying to talk about the NHS.

But Mr Cameron pressed the point again: "Does he back the Chancellor as his successor? Yes or no? I do - does he?"

Again, Mr Blair declined to answer, drawing cheers from the Tory benches.

Later, as Mr Blair rose to answer Mr Cameron mid-question, the Tory leader mockingly told him: "Hold on a minute. I know that you only have a few more goes."

Mr Cameron even forced Mr Blair into uncharacteristic verbal slips.

After appearing to suggest the Home Office was attempting to deport "foreign secretaries" - instead of foreign prisoners - Mr Blair admitted: "There is not much of a recovery after that one."