June 27, 2007
Tony Blair: An Emotional Farewell & A New Challenge
UPDATED.
It's official. Tony Blair tendered his resignation as prime minister of Great Britain in a private meeting with Queen Elizabeth II this afternoon at Buckingham Palace. Just a few hours later, Blair was officially named a new envoy to the Middle East, charged with leading the peace process on behalf of the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia.
Blair's former chancellor, Gordon Brown, took the helm shortly after Blair's official resignation, declaring outside 10 Downing Street, "Let the work of change begin."
Earlier, Blair spent his final morning at Downing Street clearing out his offices, bidding farewell to staffers and engaging in his final parliamentary session.
In an emotional appearance at the House of Commons, Blair paid tribute to the troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq and then spent about a half-hour answering final questions from members on domestic issues and foreign affairs. The sometimes hard-hitting questions were mixed with hearty congratulations, and Blair solicited laughter from his colleagues on several occasions. He finished by acknowledging his "fear" and "respect" for the House during his 10-year reign as prime minister and praised the political process as the "place for the pursuit of noble causes."
"I wish everyone, friend or foe, well," he concluded. "And that is that. The end of it." Blair's remarks were followed by a long standing ovation from the assembled MPs.
The BBC's Web site has full coverage and video of Blair's farewell to the House, plus a photo gallery detailing the transfer of power to Brown.
And the London Guardian has also been liveblogging Blair's final day as prime minister.
In an exclusive interview with the Sun newspaper in London, President Bush praised his staunchest ally in the Western world, admitting that he wished Blair could have stuck around a bit longer. "I selfishly said to him, 'I hope you can stay out my term!'" Bush told the Sun.
He also acknowledged the hits Blair has taken over his close relationship with the White House. "I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle. He's bigger than that. This is just background noise, a distraction from big things," Bush said. "We're working together to achieve global peace in the face of enormous danger."
Blair is expected to continue that work in his new post as special envoy to the Middle East. Blair was asked about that role in his final appearance before parliament today. "The only way of bringing stability and peace to the Middle East is a two-state solution, which means a state of Israel that is secure and confident in its security and a Palestinian state that is not merely viable in terms of its territory, but in terms of its institutions and government," he said. "I believe it is possible to do that, but it will require a huge intensity of focus and work."
Blair's appointment to the post has the approval of the Israeli government and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but the British media has reported that the EU and Russia were reluctant to agree at first.
The Economist has an analysis of Blair's new role on the world stage.
White House photo by Eric Draper
Posted at 12:30 PM
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Middle East, Tony Blair
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