Former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major has suggested that Labour leader Tony Blair was more right wing than him.

Sir John told the Leveson Inquiry that he once joked about Mr Blair - who led Labour to victory in 1997 - stealing his clothes.

"In many ways he (Mr Blair) was to the right of me," said Mr Major. prime minister from 1990 to 1997.

"I remember joking once that I had gone swimming in the River Thames and left my clothes on the bank - and when I got back Mr Blair was wearing them."

He also added he was not surprised that The Sun switched its backing from the Conservatives to Labour in the run-up to the 1997 election.

Sir John said during his premiership The Sun had told readers that the Conservative Government was "useless".

But he said the Conservatives had left an "extremely good" economy.