BBC NEWS reports: "Downing Street is trying to play down remarks by the prime minister that it was 'a mistake' to announce he was not standing for a fourth term."

Nothing is ever straight forward in politics. Blairs original decision not to stand for a forth term was I am sure designed to deflect some criticism and political pressure from him. But the piece ends with another quote from the interview which is about Iraq but I cant help but wonder if he is starting to think this way about his role in general "If the going is tough, we tough it out. This is not a time to walk away but to have the courage to see it through."

If at some point in the future speculation begins that he will actually fight another election after all, remember you heard it here first! Gordon Brown will quake in his boots, and of course with the Tory party trying to portray David Cameroon as the "heir of Blair" they would be in danger of a massive own goal if Cameroon actually had to fight a rejuvenated Blair.

People at the moment of course think that Blair will be a liability at the next election - but this is the master politician of his generation. His comments on Parkinson were very interesting his disarming "people used to like me then..." seemed to me to be very much like a come back attempt.

I am just not sure that despite how much the media hates Blair, that there is anyone else who has yet captured the publics imagination as a potential leader over here.