Blair and Brown break silence

The prime minister says he won't set a departure date and the chancellor says he will support Mr Blair's decision

The prime minister and the chancellor issue statements about the Labour party's future

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Here is a full transcript of what the prime minister said during his visit to Quintin Kynaston specialist technology college in north London - on a tour originally planned to promote his flagship school reforms.

"The first thing I would like to do is to apologise, actually, on behalf of the Labour party for the last week, which with everything that is going on back here and in the world, has not been our finest hour, to be frank.

"But I think what is important now is that we understand that it's the interests of the country that come first and we move on.

"Now, as for my timing and date of departure, I would have preferred to do this in my own way. But as has been pretty obvious from what many of my cabinet colleagues have said earlier in the week, the next party conference in a couple of weeks will be my last party conference as party leader, the TUC next week will be my last TUC, probably to the relief of both of us.

"But I am not going to set a precise date now. I don't think that's right. I will do that at a future date and I'll do it in the interests of the country and depending on the circumstances of the time.

"Now that doesn't in any way take away from the fact it is my last conference but I think the precise timetable has to be left up to me and has got to be done in a proper way.

"I also say one other thing after the last week, I think it is important for the Labour Party to understand, and I think the majority of people in the party do understand, that it's the public that comes first and it's the country that matters and we can't treat the public as irrelevant bystanders in a subject as important as who is their Prime Minister.

"So we should just bear that in mind in the way that we conduct ourselves in the time to come.

"In the meantime I think it is important we get on with the business. I was at a primary school earlier - fantastic new buildings, great new IT suite, school results improving.

"I'm here at this school that just in the last few years has come on by leaps and bounds doing fantastically well.

"We've got the blockade on the Lebanon lifted today. You know there are important things going on in the world.

"And I think I speak for all my cabinet colleagues when I say that we would prefer to get on with those things because those are the things that really matter and really matter to the country.

"So as I say it has been a somewhat difficult week, but I think it's time now to move on and I think we will."

Gordon Brown's statement

This is the text from Gordon Brown's statement given today shortly before that of the prime minister.

"We are in the unique situation in our country where the prime minister has said, as he has said on a number of occasions, that he does not want to lead our party and our government into the next general election.

"As a result of that there are questions about what happens in the time to come and it's right to say that I, like others, have had questions myself.

"But I want to make it absolutely clear today, that when I met the prime minister yesterday I said to him, as I've said on many occasions and I repeat today: It is for him to make the decision.

"I said also to him, and I make it clear again today, that I will support him in the decision he makes, that this cannot and should not be about private arrangements but what is in the best interests of our party, and most of all the best interests of our country, and I will support him in doing exactly that.

"Tony Blair and I have worked together for 20 years and we have done so in difficult times as well as in very good times.

"We continue to work together because we share a determination, both of us, that we will advance and get down to the business of the Labour government and doing our best by the people of the country.

"I am determined that in the months and years to come we continue to do our duty by the people of Britain - and it is my determination and his to do that - that will influence everything that happens in the time to come."

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