'Nothing new' in Campbell diaries

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Mr Campbell, a central figure in the New Labour Government under Tony Blair, has said he ensured that the extracts selected for the book were not damaging to Gordon Brown.

He said he was determined the book would not provide a "goldmine" for Tory leader David Cameron.

But Mr Brown has said he will not read the book. He said he wanted to get on with the job of running the country and insisted "the past is the past".

The nearly 800-page volume contains less than a fifth of the two million-plus words Mr Campbell recorded during his time at Mr Blair's side.

Among extracts revealed on Sunday was a revelation that Mr Blair wanted to quit Downing Street years earlier than he eventually did. In July 2002, amid pressure over the build up to the Iraq war, he is recorded to have canvassed key aides about his plans to quit as PM without fighting a third general election.

"In truth I've never really wanted to do more than two full terms," he is quoted by Mr Campbell as revealing to him at the time.

Mr Blair did eventually make a statement about his future in 2004 - but by then was ruling out a fourth term and months later did secure a third general election win.

Other selected passages gave a flavour of the tensions within the Cabinet in the run-up to the crucial vote on the Iraq war as well as negotiations with US President George Bush.

After Mr Bush agreed to seek another UN Resolution before invading, Mr Campbell said the President joked to him that "I suppose you can tell the story of how Tony flew in and pulled the crazed unilateralist back from the brink".