As Gordon Brown has remarked, it is impossible to believe a word that Mr Blair says. He is going into this election with the knowledge that he will raise National Insurance, or other taxes, afterwards. But he won't admit it.

This is from the BBC online coverage of tonight's interview with Mr Blair by Jeremy Paxman:

...he was not about to confess to having misled voters about his intentions on taxation at the last election.

Four years ago, in a similar interview, he had rejected Mr Paxman's suggestion that it was clear from all he had said that he would raise National Insurance contributions if he was re-elected. (Which is what happened. JB)

There is another well-rehearsed answer to this one - he was only led to increase NICs after a post-election report indicated such levels of extra spending were necessary for the health service. (Surely nobody believes that.JB)

So couldn't he do the same again, if he wins a third time, when, for example, the Turner report into the pensions black hole is delivered.

He was not about to be drawn into mapping out budgets at this point, he declared.

Posted by James Bartholomew • Indexed in Politics • Tax and growth

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