Blair: Relationship with Brown not fragile

Tony Blair said his relationship with the chancellor is "not fragile" and will continue into a third Labour term.

The prime minister has also indicated that the two will work together on the reform of public services - should Labour party be re-elected on May 5.

In an interview with the Independent, Blair said there was a need to "personalise" public services - a process which he said Gordon Brown will be involved in.

"We will work together on public service reform," Blair said.

"It's very important we work closely together on the whole public service reform agenda, on personalising public services, opening them up to a greater diversity of supply."

And he talked down the difference of opinion it is widely believed that Blair and Brown have over the issue of the markets in the healthcare system.

Blair said that "you can open up a diversity of supply so if a patient can't be treated by the NHS they can use the independent sector".

He stressed that the service must be free at the point of use, and added: "I don't believe Gordon has ever had a problem with that at all. It's never been a problem in the discussions we have had together."

The prime minister and chancellor have gone out of their way in this election campaign to put on a united front.

Blair underlined the point that this is not a temporary ceasefire between himself and his chancellor.

"The relationship is not fragile because the mutual respect and friendship goes far deeper than people understand from the outside," he told the Independent.

"If the prime minister and the chancellor are at odds there is a problem. It is important that the two of us work together and closely."

When questioned over polls which show Brown to be more popular with voters, Blair admitted there is a problem with governing from the centre ground as it is bound to disappoint those on the left and the right.

But he said: "That is why it is essential that you have a programme that is fully worked out and that we lead from conviction.

He added: "In opposition, we constantly analysed and reassessed what it is the Labour Party should be for.

"People in the party used to come to me and say we need to change a policy because it was unpopular with voters. I always said that was never a good reason for changing a policy.

"What matters is that we are a modern social democratic party out of conviction, and that you do not simply seek to split the difference on policy issues."

On the current position of the Conservatives, Blair said there would be no "strange death" of the party.

"In the 1980s, people said Labour would never win again. The Conservatives have got to decide what they stand for and how they relate their ideas to the modern world."

And on the Liberal Democrats the prime minister confirmed that he had wanted to work more closely with the party on issues beyond constitutional reform, but they had shown to be opposed to public service reforms.

However he added that younger Lib Dem members are now looking at public service reform in a different way. "I am perfectly happy to work with people like that," he said.