Tony Blair has insisted there is "unity of purpose" with Gordon Brown as Labour gears up to fight the general election.

The prime minister was speaking after days of damaging press reports about his deteriorating relationship with the chancellor.

Blair pledged that the chancellor would have a role "at the centre of strategy" - but refused to confirm that his future at the Treasury was secure.

Brown is said to feel excluded from planning the election manifesto, and was further angered by the prime minister holding his monthly press conference on Thursday at the same time as he was delivering a keynote speech on international development.

Downing Street described the clash as an unfortunate coincidence caused by Blair’s need to fly to Yorkshire.

There is reportedly growing policy disagreements between the Treasury and Downing Street over aspects of the manifesto such as child poverty.

But although he refused to guarantee Brown would remain as chancellor after the election, Blair told the Westminster press corps: "We will carry on working together in the way that we did in the last two elections.

"It has been extremely successful for the country and I’ve no doubt at all it will carry on being extremely successful."

Asked if Brown had been sidelined by Alan Milburn, the prime minister replied: "Alan is looking at the policy issues across government, although the manifesto will be decided ultimately by the same type of committee structure as decided it in the past.

"We haven’t worked out that precise structure now, but there is no way we are going to fight an election campaign with anything other than the chancellor and the economy right at the heart of it."