London: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is taking advice from his predecessor Tony Blair despite their old rivalry, Blair's wife said.

Cherie Blair said Brown was pushing her husband to quit when he suffered a crisis of confidence in 2004 over the US-led war in Iraq.

"I thought he was putting too much pressure on Tony to quit when Tony wasn't ready," she told the Sun.

Brown took over as prime minister in June 2007 but quickly became unpopular after rising fuel and food prices and a downturn in the housing market.

A YouGov popularity poll on Friday put Brown's Labour party on 23 per cent with the opposition Conservative Party on 49 per cent, which would guarantee a crushing defeat for Labour if national elections were called. Brown must call an election by 2010 at the latest.


"I know that Tony thinks Gordon could win the election and I know he has spoken to Gordon about how he could do that," Cherie said.