Sketch By Nick Assinder BBC News Online Political Correspondent

He spent a large part of his monthly press conference explaining to journalists exactly where he had been misunderstood on a whole range of issues from gambling to Europe.

People misunderstood the aim of the proposed new gambling laws - they are mostly about tightening regulations on casinos and slot machines, he said.

The government's approach to European borders and immigration had also been misunderstood - it is actually a policy which gives Britain the best of both worlds to protect its own borders while having a say on what the rest of the EU does, he said.

And there was widespread misunderstanding about plans to liberalise licensing laws - they are about allowing law abiding citizens to enjoy a drink when they wanted one while also cracking down on drunken thugs.

Needless to say, there was also a misunderstanding about what was driving developments in Iraq - those are all about securing the country for the election (the Iraqi not US one).

Fighting fit

And Mr Blair's frustration at these misunderstandings is threatening to boil over into aggression.

On two or three occasions he adopted his now traditional Commons question time approach and threw questions back at his inquisitors in an exasperated and combative style.

The he brought it all to an end, turned on his heel and stalked out, followed by a large black cloud.

When his aides insist the prime minister is fighting fit they clearly intend to put the emphasis on the fighting.

The overwhelming impression was of a man rapidly reaching the end of his tether with those people who by accident or - and this is clearly his own view - often by design choose to misunderstand and misrepresent him.

If he had suddenly snapped and challenged one of the hacks to "settle this outside" it would not have appeared hugely out of place.

Black cloud

Where previously he has appeared relaxed, charming and persuasive this time he was, prickly, uncomfortable and well and truly fed up.

There was the usual quota of apparently legitimate questions - on his house purchase, his future plans and his moral compass for example - which he simply refused to answer.

And there were traditional, well-rehearsed answers on the war, the Middle East and a variety of other subjects.

Then he brought it all to an end, turned on his heel and stalked out, followed by a large black cloud.

Or did I simply misunderstand his mood.