Tony Blair has confirmed that he now has 10 days to decide whether the election will go ahead on May 3.

Speaking at the European summit in Stockholm, the prime minister gave little indication of postponing poll day. He was forced to make the statement after being caught on camera admitting to Romano Prodi that time was running out to cancel the elections.

Blair told journalists: "You shouldn't be surprised that I am talking about an election. I think that what I have been saying in private is what is being said in public. I know people keep asking me this question but the thing for me to do is to make sure that we have the measures in place to eradicate this disease."

He tried to pre-empt Tory claims that he was purely concentrating on the election by saying: "My priority has got to be, and is, getting on top of the disease and eradicating it".

He said his reasoning for not delaying poll day was the fact that only one per cent of livestock farms were affected by the disease at the moment.

"This has come as a terrible blow to farmers who depend on the industry. There is no disguising this is a serious situation. It is going to be a long haul. All of the measures are in place. It is going to be difficult it is going to take time," said the prime minister.

"As a disease like this spreads out you get a sense of what the full extent of its seriousness. We now have that from our experts. In a sense that is good," Blair said.