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UK says Blair will not resign before May 3 elections

Downing Street on Friday intervened over speculation about Tony Blair's resignation as prime minister by confirming that he would not announce his resignation before the May 3 Welsh, Scottish and local English elections.

The prime minister's official spokesman took the unusual step of dismissing claims he was planning a May 1 announcement -- the 10th anniversary of the 1997 victory -- as "wrong". Asked if he was saying that any suggestion Blair would make an announcement about his future before the elections this coming week was wrong, the spokesman said: "Correct."

At a press conference in Warsaw, where he held talks with Polish prime minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Blair said: "You know I never discuss these issues at all, but I wouldn't hold your breath on that particular story."

The remarks underlined the expectation in UK government circles that Blair will make his long-awaited statement on May 9 or May 10, once power-sharing in Northern Ireland is restored on May 8. Results from the local elections in England, and the devolved assemblies in Scotland and Wales, will still be coming in on May 4. May 5-6 is the weekend and May 7 is a national holiday.

Blair sent a letter and briefing on Thursday to members of Labour's parliamentary party outlining his achievements over 10 years. Yesterday the Opposition Conservatives retorted with one of their own, claiming failings in the UK's state funded National Health Service (NHS), crime, taxation, education, and welfare reform.

On BBC radio, Conservative leader David Cameron said Blair would be remembered "positively" for changing the Labour party but added: "I don't think as prime minister he has been a success because I don't think ... he had a clear enough idea about what he wanted to do."

Leftwing MPs John McDonnell and Michael Meacher, who are both standing for the Labour leadership, are closer to an agreement that one of them will withdraw to ensure the other gets on the ballot to challenge the most likely successor to Tony Blair as prime minister Gordon Brown.

Candidates need a minimum of 45 nominations from Labour MPs and both Meacher and McDonnell cannot get there on their own.
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