TONY Blair may have nine days to go before he steps down as Prime Minister, but he wasn't going to get an easy ride from Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff.

Mr Luff grilled the Premier in the Commons Liaison Committee today, asking him if he thought he was too presidential a Prime Minister.

Mr Luff also critised Mr Blair for likening the media to a "feral beast" in a speech last week.

Mr Luff said: "I agreed to do a session on the constitution, and told him he was trying to blame the media for parliament being ignored, when he has done a lot to sideline parliament himself.

"I do think he has been too presidential as Prime Minister. It has been like this a long time though, because I remember being at schools in the 1970s when Harold Wilson and Ted Heath were too presidential.

"I also made a point that in 1997, he moved the whips out of Downing Street and moved the media in, which sends out the wrong message.

"I think last week he gave an ill-advised speech that demonstrated he was happy to use the media when it kept him on side, but not happy when it didn't."

Last week Mr Blair gave a speech to news group Reuters attacking media for ignoring parliament.

Mr Blair, who will step down as Prime Minister next Wednesday, also said there was "no shades of grey" with the media and that it was over-emotive.