Campaign trail: Tanned Blair back in the old routine

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The former Prime Minister looked even more tanned than usual as he rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt to have his blood pressure taken.

He ducked the question of whether he was more healthy than Gordon Brown, telling nurse Paula Martin: "It's a tough job being Prime Minister – I know."

Mr Blair's visit to Alexandra Avenue Health and Social Care Centre, in the Labour-held constituency of Harrow West, north London, had been due to happen two weeks earlier.

But Middle East envoy Mr Blair was grounded in Jerusalem thanks to the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud.

He said he did not believe Labour would come third in the popular vote next week.

"I think that Labour has got every chance of succeeding," he said. "But we will succeed best, and I don't think this is much disputed, if the focus is on policy."

Mr Blair was ushered through the centre by its lead partner, Dr David Lloyd, as patients in the waiting room looked on in disbelief.