Tony Blair would have handed power to Gordon Brown before the 2005 General Election if the then Chancellor had agreed to push ahead with Mr Blair’s reforms, Cherie Blair has disclosed.

The former Prime Minister’s wife tells how Mr Blair had a “crisis of confidence” over the Iraq war and feared that he had become an electoral liability.

But he decided to stay and fight for his domestic legacy because Mr Brown was “rattling the keys above his head”.

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Mrs Blair makes the revelations in extracts from her memoirs, Speaking for Myself, which are serialised today.

They are expected to infuriate Mr Brown who has already seen his authority diminish following the recent Labour meltdown in the local elections.

The former first lady also says that her husband is now informally advising Mr Brown on how to win back support.

Mr Blair is said to have been concerned that Mr Brown would not back key policies on city academies, foundation hospitals and pension reform if he had taken over before last year.

She said: “Tony would have stood down, there is no question. Instead of which Tony felt he had no option but to stay on and fight for the things he believed in.”

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