'Blair's PMQs heart scares made him consider stepping down'

His pounding heart left him "strange and disconcerted", said one confidant.

Mr Blair was repeatedly affected by his irregular heartbeat during 2004.

The book, Blair Unbound, claims the cardiac problems led him to consider stepping down as he faced the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, the Hutton inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly, ongoing rows with Gordon Brown and concerns over his family.

Scroll down for more...

With his youngest son Leo, then three, not sleeping well, Mr Blair ended up sleeping in the nursery on his return from a European summit after the toddler had climbed into his parents' bed.

At this time he is said to have "wobbled" over remaining as Prime Minister. Both his former press chief Alastair Campbell and gatekeeper Anji Hunter reportedly spoke to him about leaving Downing Street - though his wife Cherie, his chief of staff Jonathan Powell and director of government relations Baroness Morgan urged him to stay.

On 19 October, 2003, Mr Blair suffered chest pains at Chequers and was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed as having an irregular heart beat. He underwent an emergency cardioversion and was in hospital for five hours before returning to No 10.

However, despite the treatment, he continued to suffer cardiac problems. The confidant added: "He felt unwell quite a lot during the year that followed. I began to watch him carefully. He was generally not very well in 2004."

The book also reveals new details of the fraught relationship between Mr Blair and Gordon Brown. Author Anthony Seldon suggests that the then Chancellor told Mr Blair to "f**k off" on numerous occasions and claims Mr Blair was blocked in his 2005 reshuffle plans by Mr Brown and Deputy PM John Prescott.

The PM proposed creating a new Office of Management and Budget as a means of stripping Mr Brown of some of his vast powers at the Treasury. However, the Chancellor is said to have rebuffed this idea even after Mr Blair suggested it report to him.

Scroll down for more...

Mr Brown, who felt betrayed at not being properly consulted on the reshuffle, also rejected sacking Treasury minister Dawn Primarolo and appointing key Blairite John Hutton as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, or John Denham to the same post.

Mr Blair was left insisting: "Gordon, it's got to be my reshuffle. I am the Prime Minister," according to the book.

Ultra-Blairites had hoped Mr Blair would move Mr Brown to the Foreign Office after the election. On general election night 2005, the Prime Minister was dismayed when Labour lost Putney to Conservative Justine Greening, believing this heralded that his party was about to lose office.

"If we lost this, we are going to lose the lot," he said to Mr Powell. He is said to have blamed himself for Labour's poor results saying: "It's all my fault. Iraq".

Lady Morgan said: "It was a pretty grim hour or so." After he was declared winner of the Sedgefield count, Mr Blair was attacked by an anti-Iraq war candidate who told him to visit wounded troops in hospital.

Cherie was on the edge of tears, says the book, and the Prime Minister was said to be badly affected by the words. He had already privately visited injured soldiers but wanted to keep this secret to stop it becoming a political event.

What they said at the time

• Downing Street played down Tony Blairs heart problems after he was taken to hospital in October ..... No10 insisted he should not suffer future problems after undergoing treatment for an irregular heartbeat.

A spokesman said: "This morning the Prime Minister was feeling under the weather and went to Stoke Mandeville hospital where they advised him to go to the Hammersmith.

"There it was established he had an irregular heartbeat and a cardioversion was administered to regulate it. This was completely successful. He was in hospital for four to five hours and is now back at No 10."

"He has suffered no damage and he is fine. There is no reason why this should reoccur. They have advised him to rest for hours."

Now, we know that Mr Blair suffered more problems on repeated occasions during the following year, according to the book Blair Unbound, including twice at Prime Minister's Questions.