Gordon Brown prepares to succeed Blair as British Prime Minister

Source: BBC

Gordon Brown is set to become prime minister, bringing to an end Tony Blair's 10 years in power.

Mr Blair will see the Queen and leave office after his final prime minister's questions session in the Commons and saying farewell to Downing St staff.

Mr Brown is then expected to travel to meet the Queen, who will formally offer him the role in the early afternoon.

Mr Brown is expected to begin his Cabinet reshuffle by naming the next chancellor and home secretary.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6243558.stm

pull British troops out of Iraq! I thought the Brits hated Blair for putting their military in there, and would elect someone with a different plan.

Blair didn't lose an election; he resigned, as he had promised (with some pressure to do so); and is now about to become Middle East Envoy - urgh!

Brown was the heir apparent for some time, and did get the party leadership, because no one with a real chance stood against him; one left-wing but rather obscure MP attempted to do so, but failed to get enough nominations from other MPs.

I fear it may be more of the same, but would be happy to be proved wrong.

...the withdrawal is already underway. He just needs to shepherd the policy along, which I imagine he'll do quickly and quietly.

Source: BBC

Tony Blair has left Downing Street for the last time as prime minister and is currently handing his resignation to the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

As the Blairs posed on the steps of Number 10, Cherie Blair shouted to the media: "I don't think we'll miss you."

Earlier, Mr Blair received a standing ovation from MPs in the Commons in unprecedented scenes at the end of his final prime minister's questions.

His long-serving chancellor, Gordon Brown, succeeds him as PM later.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6243558.stm

after Tony and his ilk, you're not going to be missed either.

I called the station to complain but it won't make a difference- some stupid hot dog eating contest was more important - so shall we discuss why our country is in the toilet?

Blair has finally stepped down. Blair, Bush, Howard and New Zealand's Helen Clark are responsible for the deaths of well over one million Iraqis including half a million Iraqi children who died due to malnutrition and lack of medical supplies because of the UN-mandated blockade they jointly enforced on Iraq. These people are mass murderers and should be locked up for the sake of everyone else's safety.

Those of us who voted them into power are guilty of complicity in this crime. We must take care not give away our power and our say to people who are likely to misuse it, as otherwise we become guilty by association and may share the harvest of their misdeeds when the chickens come home to roost.

This has indeed already been happening. Many of the troops who fought for the crime syndicate which is running America under the mistaken belief that they were serving their country have paid dearly for this mistake, by either coming home in a coffin, or else maimed and crippled or sick with and/or dying from Gulf War Illness caused by experimental vaccines and/or Depleted Uranium Dust.

It is our ignorance and our misguided support which keeps the evil on this planet going. May what is going down be a wake-up call!

Rudd's gonna walk all over him in the upcoming election.