Blair says rift with Brown was ‘April Fool’s’ joke

LONDON – Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday dismissed renewed speculation of a politically damaging rift with Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown as nothing more than a bad April Fool’s joke.

Asked on Sky News television whether he and his ambitious heir apparent had fallen out over arrangements for local council elections next month, Blair replied: “Absolutely not”. “There have been a lot of April Fool’s stories, including that I was going to paint the Downing Street door red,” said Blair in a live interview outside the glossy black door of his official London residence.”I think this story falls into just about the same category…This stuff comes in and goes out again, and it has for all the time I have been prime minister and leader of the Labour Party.””The important thing is to carry on doing the things that matter to people.”Blair made himself available for a round of breakfast-time TV interviews yesterday after his Labour Party announced that he and Brown would appear together on Wednesday to launch its campaign for the May 4 elections.The local-level polls will be the first real test of Labour’s popularity since Blair led the party to an unprecedented third straight victory in general elections a year earlier.Blair has said that this would be his last term as prime minister, but he has refused to set a firm date for his departure, resulting in frustration in the Brown camp.- Nampa-AFP”There have been a lot of April Fool’s stories, including that I was going to paint the Downing Street door red,” said Blair in a live interview outside the glossy black door of his official London residence.”I think this story falls into just about the same category…This stuff comes in and goes out again, and it has for all the time I have been prime minister and leader of the Labour Party.””The important thing is to carry on doing the things that matter to people.”Blair made himself available for a round of breakfast-time TV interviews yesterday after his Labour Party announced that he and Brown would appear together on Wednesday to launch its campaign for the May 4 elections.The local-level polls will be the first real test of Labour’s popularity since Blair led the party to an unprecedented third straight victory in general elections a year earlier.Blair has said that this would be his last term as prime minister, but he has refused to set a firm date for his departure, resulting in frustration in the Brown camp.- Nampa-AFP