Blair’s exit to trigger leadership vote in May

LONDON – British Prime Minister Tony Blair was likely to commit publicly yesterday to a 2007 resignation, forced by intense pressure within his governing Labour Party into making an announcement he has long resisted, senior Cabinet officials said.

Amid furious party infighting and reported battles with his expected successor, the ministers’ comments indicated that Blair has had to yield to demands from Labour’s rank and file that he specify when he will step down. Eight junior officials quit on Wednesday to insist on his resignation and news reports said Blair and Treasury chief Gordon Brown, who is likely to be the next prime minister, had shouting arguments in Blair’s office about a handover date.”I think he will clarify his departure time and I think he will say that …it’s probably not going to be the case that he’ll still be in Downing Street a year from now,” Ruth Kelly, Britain’s communities secretary and a close Blair ally, told GMTV television.Sky News and the British Broadcasting Corporation said he would likely trigger a leadership election in May and leave his job a month or two later.Blair, who took office in 1997, gave only a wave and a smile when reporters shouted “When are you going to go?” as he emerged briefly from his office to greet Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.Blair led Labour to its third straight election win last year and has said he would not seek a fourth term.He has also promised to give his successor- widely expected to be Brown – time to settle into office before the next elections.But pressure for Blair to leave office soon -or to at least announce a departure date -has intensified in recent weeks, fuelled by widespread anger at his handling of the recent fighting in the Middle East and anxiety over Labour’s slide in the polls.Nampa-APEight junior officials quit on Wednesday to insist on his resignation and news reports said Blair and Treasury chief Gordon Brown, who is likely to be the next prime minister, had shouting arguments in Blair’s office about a handover date.”I think he will clarify his departure time and I think he will say that …it’s probably not going to be the case that he’ll still be in Downing Street a year from now,” Ruth Kelly, Britain’s communities secretary and a close Blair ally, told GMTV television.Sky News and the British Broadcasting Corporation said he would likely trigger a leadership election in May and leave his job a month or two later.Blair, who took office in 1997, gave only a wave and a smile when reporters shouted “When are you going to go?” as he emerged briefly from his office to greet Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.Blair led Labour to its third straight election win last year and has said he would not seek a fourth term.He has also promised to give his successor- widely expected to be Brown – time to settle into office before the next elections.But pressure for Blair to leave office soon -or to at least announce a departure date -has intensified in recent weeks, fuelled by widespread anger at his handling of the recent fighting in the Middle East and anxiety over Labour’s slide in the polls.Nampa-AP