PM 'was ready to quit if MPs did not back war'

Tony Blair revealed yesterday that he told his children and Whitehall officials to prepare for his resignation if he lost the crucial Commons vote on war with Iraq last month.

The Prime Minister confirmed that he had been ready to quit if he was defeated by rebel Labour MPs in the vote authorising military action.

Although Tory support meant he was never likely to lose the vote, if a majority of the Labour benches had voted against him his position would have become untenable.

In a separate indication of Mr Blair's relief at the outcome of the war, it was revealed yesterday that he had taken the time to phone a member of the public who had written to congratulate him for his stand against Saddam Hussein.

Mr Blair told The Sun that he had to sit down with his three older children and explain to them on the eve of the vote that he may soon be out of a job. His oldest son, Euan, 19, was particularly worried about his father's struggle to turn around the public mood.

"It was in the papers every day, so they were aware. Yes, they were worried. I did sit down with them at one point and I explained that this was going to be extremely difficult and it was possible that the thing could go against me," he said. "They were really supportive, all the family, including Euan, who, he will forgive me saying, is not always fantastic at picking up the phone and telling his mum and dad what is going on at university. He was on the phone virtually every night just, you know, giving me lots of support. And Cherie was tremendously supportive."

The Prime Minister said in his interview that he was prepared to go. "In the end, it is a decision you put the whole of the premiership on the line for," he said. "In the end if you lose your premiership, well you lose it. But at least you lose it on the basis of something that you believe in."