Blair Starts 50-Day Count Down To Resignation

Blair Starts 50-Day Count Down To Resignation

Tony Blair plans to return on Thursday to his Sedgefield constituency, where his political career began 24 years ago, for the long-awaited announcement that he is standing down as leader of the Labour Party.

While he will remain Prime Minister until early July, Thursday's resignation statement will begin a 50-day countdown to Gordon Brown crossing the threshold of No 10.

Mr Blair is anxious to demonstrate that he is quitting as Labour leader rather than as Prime Minister as he plans to attend two international summits next month at which he hopes to promote global action on climate change and re-energise efforts to tackle poverty in Africa.

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