TONY Blair celebrated 20 years as MP for Sedgefield by playing rock 'n' roll and making the occasional risqu joke at an exclusive party in his constituency on Saturday night.

As the evening wore on, Mr Blair took up his guitar and joined his agent John Burton and Labour Party General Secretary David Triesman, playing a set of classic songs, such as Johnny B Goode.

In the audience at Trimdon Labour Club were his wife, Cherie, and their three oldest children, Euan, Nicky and Kathryn.

North-East MPs Alan Milburn, Hilary Armstrong, Stephen Byers and Derek Foster were also there, as well as party activists including Peter Brookes, Paul Trippett and Phil Wilson, who met Mr Blair 20 years ago as he sought their help in winning the nomination for the newly-formed Sedgefield seat.

"He kept ringing the wrong number," recalled Mr Burton of how he first heard from Mr Blair.

"He thought we were in Sedgefield but in those days we had a Wellfield code."

Eventually, Mr Blair got through and made an appointment to see the Trimdon branch of the party on the night of the UEFA Cup final. He arrived at Mr Burton's house and had to wait while the game went to extra time and penalties before being allowed to speak.

"I remember very well that first evening," he said. "I had been living in the London Labour Party and I remember sitting there watching the football and thinking 'yes, at last, there are some normal people still in the Labour Party'. It was a huge revelation for me, as I had thought for a long time that there was something wrong with me."

Mr Blair's light-hearted speech also included a risqu revelation about the 1983 election. He was campaigning in Sedgefield in the North-East while Cherie tried to win the Thanet seat, centred around the town of Margate, in the South-East.

"Don't get worried about this Euan," he said addressing his eldest son.

"But looking at the dates, you were supposed to be conceived during the election campaign.

"Your mother has just given me an explanation and I will tell it to you later."

Mr Blair also thanked his constituents, saying: "When the pressure is on, as it often is, and sometimes when you are uncertain about decision-making, you need to know you have good people behind you, who care about you not just as a politician but as a human being.

"It makes the difference between doing the job well and doing it badly."