Still smiling, Blair's press pair battle on

Godric Smith, one of Tony Blair's two official spokesmen, demonstrated his dry wit yesterday when he had to contend with yet more allegations about the Prime Minister's wife. When asked whether Peter Foster could have tape-recorded his lawyers' conversations with Mrs Blair, Mr Smith replied: "Wouldn't that be a happy morning for us all?"

The controversy has meant Mr Smith and Tom Kelly, the other spokesman, have had their most difficult period since taking over from Alastair Campbell after the 2001 general election. Both have been extremely uncomfortable as each day brings new questions into the affair while their integrity has been questioned. As the bond of trust between Number 10 and journalists began to strain, speculation that they could resign in protest has rumbled throughout the past week.

Mrs Blair was acutely aware of the damage to the two men when she apologised twice for the position she had placed them in. The officials had apparently been unfairly caught in the crossfire because her desire to protect her family's privacy had led her to give them incomplete and misleading information.

Mr Kelly, who was a BBC Newsnight journalist and an adviser to Peter Mandelson at the Northern Ireland Office before going to Downing Street, has a habit of being too cautious and deadpan in briefings. Mr Smith, who worked at the charity Sane and then the Department of Health before Number 10, is more experienced, having served as Mr Campbell's deputy for much of the last Parliament. He is more likely to use his wit to defuse tensions and it often works.

Mr Kelly was asked on Tuesday if he or Mr Smith, Mr Campbell or his partner, Fiona Millar, had any plans to resign. He replied: "No."