Analysis By Nick Assinder BBC News Online Political Correspondent

Despite an extraordinarily difficult period for his leadership, he used his final press conference of the session to prove precisely how "up for it" he still is.

A regenerated prime minister

There was no sign of the drawn, weary Blair who has appeared in public periodically over the past months.

And there was no suggestion this is a prime minister on the verge of quitting, let alone expecting to be thrown out on his ear any time soon.

Far from it, Tony Blair looked as buoyant, self confident, secure and as certain of his own rightness as at any time.

Some had previously dared suggest this new image was the result of him having made a very big decision.

Another term

It was a sort of serenity said to come over some when they look mortality in the eye, or when they are closing the book on a period of their lives planning to move on.

But any notion he is about to emulate the sudden resignation of Labour's last election winning leader must have been shattered by his performance in the past couple of days.

Possible bad news for Brown

Instead we appeared to be looking at a man who, to use his own words, was looking forward with renewed confidence and even optimism to another term in office. Sorry Gordon.

He even appeared relaxed and unaffected by the extreme heat which was melting the hacks in the room.

He deployed all his usual tricks of avoiding the difficult questions, flatly refusing to answer some of them or switching to harmless questioners to take the sting out of things.

Most importantly for him, he started with another of those lengthy, detailed, graph-inflicted presentations that bludgeon even the hardiest hack into submission but prove how he is doing everything he said he would do in 1997.

That helped him focus on the next task of drawing a line under Iraq - even though, as he said himself, people would keep coming back to it. It will get them nowhere here, by the way.

Total control

He did appear to let it slip that he has appointed twice-disgraced minister Peter Mandelson to the job as the UK's next European Commissioner. Or did he?

When asked who the commissioner was, he said he would answer questions about the job when he announced the appointment.

Mandelson may be set for Brussels

Then when asked about Mr Mandelson's future, he said he had already told us he would speak about Europe at the appropriate time. A gaffe, a slip of the tongue or nothing at all?

Certainly he appears on the verge of refreshing his cabinet - possibly another sign that he is looking to the future and is ready to show he is in total control of the government.

In many ways this was a remarkable performance. There can be only one answer, like Dr Who he has discovered the secret of regeneration or cloning.

Each time the old Tony Blair wears out or develops and electrical fault, it is binned and a shiny new one is sent out into the world.