TONY Blair has described Jack Straw as an "outstanding" Foreign Secretary.

And at his monthly Downing Street press conference he branded as "rubbish" claims he axed the Blackburn MP from the post because of American unhappiness with him.

The Prime Minister confirmed Mr Straw's account of the reshuffle in an exclusive interview in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Mr Blair said that the surprise move of him to Leader of the Commons was Mr Straw's idea, first suggested in the post General Election Cabinet shake-up last year.

Mr Blair surprised many by moving Mr Straw from the high profile post in his wide-ranging Cabinet reshuffle on Friday.

He said: "Jack Straw has a good stint at being a very good Foreign Secretary. He was an outstanding figure."

Mr Blair said Mr Straw had done a great job as Foreign Secretary but as a very experienced Parliamentarian was the best person for the "really difficult" job of House of Lords reform.

He confirmed that as Leader of the Commons with added responsibilities for House of Lords and party funding reform Mr Straw would have a senior and influential role in government.

It had been suggested that Mr Straw's outspoken rejection of military action against Iran was at odds with the US line, which does not rule out any option on Iran.

During the televised media briefing Mr Blair said Mr Straw's policies would not change under the new Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett: "I have no doubt that the policies that have been articulated by Jack Straw will not change one iota under Margaret Beckett.

"Any notion that it is linked to any decision about invading Iran which incidentally we are not going to do any notion that it is related to such a decision is utterly absurd.'' The Prime Minister said Mrs Beckett was an outstanding politician who was a "safe pair of hands" with much international experience.