Tony Blair has promised the government will do "whatever we can" to assist MG Rover as talks in China failed again to agree a deal.

The prime minister was responding to a question from Richard Burden, the Labour MP, who had sought reassurance that "come what may, this is a government that will continue to stand by MG Rover workers".

Burden, whose Birmingham Northfield constituency contains Rover's Longbridge plant, is one of many Labour MPs who are pressing ministers to come to the car maker's aid.