The secret of Tony Blair’s success at the dispatch box has been revealed to be a pair of lucky brogues that he has worn at every Prime Minister’s Questions since 1997.

Mr Blair, who believes that “cheap shoes are a false economy”, has seen off four Conservative and two Liberal Democrat leaders in the Church’s handmade leather shoes.

“I know it’s ridiculous, but I’ve worn them for every PMQs,” he told The Times in an interview to be published in full tomorrow. “I’ve actually had them for 18 years,” and they have been resoled once.

According to the 134-year-old Church’s, based in Northampton, Chetwynd brogues would have cost Mr Blair about £150 when he bought them 18 years ago. They now retail at approximately £290.

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The Prime Minister is something of an evangelist for the brand. David Blunkett once disclosed that Mr Blair had pressurised him into buying a pair, which he regarded as “astonishingly expensive”. Gordon Brown also owned a pair as far back as 1999, although it is unclear whether he bought them on the recommendation of his neighbour.

Mr Blair believes that he has never had three bad Prime Minister’s Questions in a row and puts this down – in part – to his lucky shoes.

This is not the first time that the Blairs have dabbled in the superstitious. Cherie Blair is said to have invited a feng-shui expert into No 10, and in the summer of 2001 she and her husband went through a “rebirthing experience” on the Mexican Riviera. This involved the Blairs bowing and praying to the four winds, then smearing watermelon, papaya and mud over each other and screaming loudly to signify the pain of rebirth.

Lucky shoes or not, a spokes-woman for Church’s said that the company was aware that Mr Blair had been a customer for at least a decade and was delighted that he enjoyed its shoes.

Whether the Prime Minister was enjoying them at his final Cabinet meeting yesterday was not clear, but he no doubt enjoyed the tributes paid to him. They were led by Mr Brown, David Miliband and Jack Straw.

Mr Brown told the meeting: “Whatever we achieve in the future will be because we are standing on your shoulders.”

He listed Mr Blair’s achievements as peace in Northern Ireland, the way the Prime Minister had responded to the July 7 bombings and the threat of terrorism, the Olympic Games, the minimum wage, civil partnerships, the transformation of public services and the Prime Minister’s leadership on the world stage.

Mr Blair returned the compliment by promising “unswerving support” for the Chancellor after next Wednesday. He also paid tribute to John Prescott’s “intelligence and his shrewdness”. He ended the valedictory session by saying: “This is the right moment to go.”

Mr Blair was presented with a painting of Chequers and Mr Prescott with a print of Admiralty House, where he has a grace-and-favour apartment. The gifts were paid for by a Cabinet whip-round, which raised approximately £1,600.

After the presentations, Mr Prescott said that he would “walk out of office with my head held high”, according to Mr Blair’s spokesman. The outgoing Prime Minister then received a standing ovation, which ended only when he left the room.

Mr Miliband, the Environment Secretary, said afterwards that it had been an emotional experience. He had arrived late for Environment Questions in the Commons because he had to “cross the floods of tears that are now trailing down Downing Street”.

Mr Straw said: “The Prime Minister has always been more than faintly embarrassed by standing ovations. He made the decision that the only way to bring it to an end was by thanking everybody and leaving.”

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