Britain's Blair resigns as PM, named Mideast envoy

Tony Blair resigned as British prime minister Wednesday, hours before being named senior envoy for theso-called Quartet of Mideastpeacenegotiators.

A crush of reporters and onlookers crowded outside the entrance of 10 Downing Street as Blair, his wife Cherie Boothand their four children lefttheir official residence for thelast time before handing over power to his longtime friend and rival, Gordon Brown.

Spectators lined the streets as Blair's armoured limousinemade the 1.5-kilometre journeyto Buckingham Palace, where Blair offered his resignation to Queen Elizabeth during a 25-minute private meeting. He departed with a private gift from the 81-year-old monarch.

Shortly after Blair left the palace, Brown and his wife, Sarah, arrived fortheir ownprivate meeting with the Queen, who invited the former Treasury secretary to form the next government. Brown is the 11th politician — Winston Churchill was the first — she has invited to lead her government.

New peace envoy

Blair, who also resigned his northern England riding of Sedgefield on Wednesday, acceptedthe postingof Middle East peace envoy for the United Nations, United States, European Union and Russia.

A statement from the group of mediators said the former British prime minister will seek to mobilize international assistance to the Palestinians and develop plans to promote Palestinian economic development.

Blair will also seek international support to address the needs of Palestinian government institutions, "focusing as a matter of urgency on the rule of law," the statement said.

Earlier Wednesday, British MPs gave Blair a standing ovationin the House of Commons, where he was questioned on a number of issues, including health, education and the war in Iraq.

Blair said he was sorry for the peril faced by British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan,but offered no apologies for supporting the United States in taking military action there.

"I know some may think that they face these dangers in vain; I don't and I never will. I believe they are fighting for the security of this country and the wider world against people who would destroy our way of life," said Blair.

'I wish everyone — friend or foe — well. And that is that. The end.' —Tony Blair

"Whatever view people take of my decisions, I think there is only way view to take of them: they are the bravest and the best."

'Remarkable achievement'

Blair appeared emotional as he delivered his final remarks. Some MPs,including Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, dabbed away tears.

"I wish everyone— friend or foe— well. And that is that. The end," Blair told MPs, as his family watched from the visitors' gallery.

Conservative Leader David Cameron praised Blair's 10 years in power as a"remarkable achievement."

"I'm sure that life in the public eye has sometimes been tough on this family. So can I say on behalf of my party that we wish him and his family well, and we wish him every success in whatever he does in the future," said Cameron.

In comments published Wednesday by British tabloid the Sun, U.S. President George W. Bush praised his key ally.

"Tony's had a great run and history will judge him kindly," said Bush, who gave the interview on May 16. "I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle. He's bigger than that."

The Scottish-born Brown, who has controlled Britain's finances as chancellor for the decade since Blair took power in 1997, has long sought the top position within his party and promised a new direction with his leadership.

His ambitions to replace Blair reportedly caused a seriousriftin the party's ranksandled to an earlier departurefrom Downing Street thanBlair haddesired.

Brown inherits a Labour Party in need of regeneration after being battered in recent municipal elections —a result largely seen as an expression of Britons' disenchantment with the war in Iraq.

Brown has stated his top domestic priorities are improving affordable housing and overhauling Britain's National Health Service.

His devotion to fiscal "prudence" and his commitment to increasing aid to Africa are well known, but questions remain about what he intends to do in Iraq and, more generally, about his foreign policy goals.

Brown and Blair were elected to Parliament in 1983, shared an office and rose rapidly to prominence in the party. It has been widely reported — but never confirmed — that the two men agreed over dinner in 1994 that Brown would not oppose Blair as a candidate for the Labour Party leadership following the death of John Smith.

The other part of the reported deal was that if Blair became prime minister, as he did in 1997, he would step down at some point to give Brown a shot at the top job.

Brown was unopposed in the Labour Party leadership election to choose Blair's successor.

Labour legislators and activists placed their trust in Brown to revive party fortunes after more than a year of trailing the opposition Conservatives in opinion polls.