President Tony making resignation statement tomorrow

[Greeby]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/09/nbrown109.xml



Blair begins 50-day countdown to departure

By George Jones and Toby Helm
Last Updated: 3:07pm BST 09/05/2007

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.

After briefing the Cabinet at its regular meeting on Thursday on the timetable for his departure, Mr Blair is expected to address the nation before flying to Sedgefield to address a hand-picked audience of Labour Party workers.

Downing Street officials stressed yesterday that Mr Blair's announcement was a "party event" and not the handover of power. Labour's National Executive Committee will meet on Sunday or Monday to decide the timetable for the leadership election.-snip-


Na na na na, na na na na............... ;)

[sinkingfeeling]

1. President? Blair is a Prime Minister.

[sabbat hunter]

2. importnat semantics

i think if he resigned as PM it would require early elections.

[slowry]

3. Hasn't he been supposedly leaving, for over a year now :/? n/t