Iain Duncan Smith has again urged his party to unite behind him - and dismissed talk of attempts to oust him.

The Tory chief said speculation over his future was one of the perils of leadership, saying Margaret Thatcher had faced the same problem when she became Conservative leader.

As you are rebuilding, reconstructing, trying to move forward, everybody wants everything to happen at once Iain Duncan Smith

Asked about an alleged prediction by a Tory press officer that the leader would be out of a job by May, he said: "If you give me the name of the particular press officer he will be gone tomorrow."

He went on: "I love this stuff - we end up with these discussions about leadership or not. These are the same discussions that faced Margaret Thatcher, they faced every leader of the opposition.

"As you are rebuilding, reconstructing, trying to move forward, everybody wants everything to happen at once."

'Rumblings'

Mr Duncan Smith, speaking on Radio Five Live said he believed attitudes to Labour were changing amid what he said were fears about tax rises and failing public services.

He told those in his party questioning his leadership: "We as a party have got to recognise that we now have to focus on government failure and tell the public that we have an alternative, a serious alternative that would give them a government that reforms public services and improves them while keeping taxes down."

Speaking later on ITV's News Channel, he said an opposition leader would always face "rumblings from people who are disgruntled".

He said: "We have, you know, a number of members, we have lots of people and there will be people always who take the occasional different view and some of those who will go and speak to a journalist and give them a story."

Asked on Five Live about comments from shadow chief secretary Howard Flight which seemed to suggest the Tories would slash spending by 20%, Mr Duncan Smith said the plan was to target bureaucratic waste, not cut services.

Dangers

"There is no proposal, will be no proposal, never was a proposal for a Conservative government to cut front-line services or services that are delivered to the public."

Asked about Tory proposals aimed at cutting waiting lists by assisting patients in accessing private health, Mr Duncan Smith said the plan was not about "state versus private".

On Iraq, the Tory leader backed the government's approach, saying he had been warning since 1995 of the dangers posed by Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction.

Asked if he would support the government if it joined the US in taking action without United Nations agreement, Mr Duncan Smith said such a move could be justified if ministers believe the interests of the UK and its allies was under threat from Saddam Hussein.

And he said he believed the Iraqi leader did pose a long-term threat to the UK and its interests.

"I believe that over the next few years Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction and the fact that he is building missiles capable of launching these further and to great distances is and will become a great threat not just to our friends and allies in the area, but also to us."