Schools Secretary Ed Balls told the BBC's The World This Weekend it was a testing time for the government but the party was united on a positive programme for the future.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said many other countries joined the United States in denouncing North Korea for the rocket launch, adding that Pyongyang has further isolated itself and jeopardized some future gains from the six-party talks between the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and North Korea.
With a fresh six-year term of office just secured, questions are already being asked about a possible successor within Venezuela's United Socialist Party (PSUV) should Mr Chavez become too sick to govern in future.