Labour MPs met the prime minister last night amid a mood of calm rather than crisis, the papers report.

Despite heavy setbacks in the European and local elections, the parliamentary party does not appear to be ready to spark talk of a leadership crisis.

Addressing the PLP Tony Blair sought to reassure MPs but refused to apologise for the Iraq war.

But he conceded that last week had delivered a "bad set of results" for the party.

Meanwhile Blair will today attempt to start a publicity drive on the government's domestic agenda with his monthly news conference in Downing Street.

And Labour appears to be confident that it will still win a general election next year, with UKIP and the electoral system scuppering the Conservatives' chances.

An ICM poll for the Guardian shows that 45 per cent of UKIP's vote came from traditional Tory quarters.

But Blair has ruled out offering an apology to the public over the war in Iraq while the Liberal Democrats are promising a "real fight" in northern towns and cities.