UK Premier Blair announces his resignation

It is official. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced, May 10, he would step down from office in June after leading the country for a tumultuous decade during which he said it had emerged as a "leader."

Making public his decision at a gathering of supporters of Labour Party in Trimdon, UK, the 54–year–old Blair said he would be handing Queen Elizabeth his resignation on June 27. He also chronicled his achievements since he assumed power in 1997.

"Today, I announce my decision to stand down from the leadership of the Labour Party. The party will now select a new leader. On the 27th of June I will tender my resignation from the office of Prime Minister to the Queen," he said.

"I have been Prime Minister of this country for just over ten years. In this job, in the world today, I think that is long enough for me, but more especially for the country. Sometimes the only way you conquer the pull of power is to set it down," he said.

Blair recollected that 1997 was a "moment for a new beginning, the sweeping away of all the detritus of the past, and expectations were so high, too high probably..."

"Britain is no more a follower, it is a leader today," said Blair who saw his approval ratings decline dramatically after he sent British troops to back the US–led military campaign in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This country is a blessed nation. The British are special. The world knows it. In our innermost thoughts we know it. This is the greatest nation on earth. So it has been an honour to serve it," he said.

Blair said his government was the only one since 1947 that could claim achievements like providing more jobs, cutting unemployment, improving healthcare and education, lowering crime and boosting the economy.

"Now, in 2007, you can easily point to challenges and grievances that fester but go back to 1997. Think back about your own living standards, then in May 1997 and now," he told Labour Party workers.

Britain, he said, now plays a major role in the global arena and has a voice in all key areas whether it is global warming, the fight against terror or Africa's battle against poverty.

Indeed, Blair has seen much since he assumed power a decade back.

In 1997, he became the Prime Minister as the Labour Party won a landslide victory.

Under his leadership, Britain's image was tarnished by the Iraq War and many felt that Blair fell below expectation, but Blair, till the very end, stood by what he thought was right.

"Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right," he said in an inspired speech that moved many.

After an emotional start to his speech, Blair got into his stride saying he had started as the premier with high expectations.

"I may have been wrong – that's your call. But believe one thing if nothing else. I did what I thought was right for our country," he asserted to those who thought that his achievements were overshadowed by the Iraq war.

Blair said he thought it was right to stand with the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11 though it was a tough decision to take.

Blair said getting rid of the Taliban and Saddam Hussein was relatively easy, but the costs have been great. He said the rise of global terrorism in particular has been "fierce and unrelenting."

Recalling the thousands of soldiers and civilians that perished in the ongoing conflict, Blair said that the war "simply isn't and can't be worth it." But he added that he believes Britain must see the war through.

One of the first to pay tribute to Blair was his likely successor, chancellor Gordon Brown.

"I think I spoke for millions of people when I said to the Cabinet today that Tony Blair's achievements are unique, unprecedented and enduring,” Brown said in a statement. "Many people will remember how he led the country after July 7, how he responded for the whole world after September 11 in America, how he responded to the tragic death of Princess Diana."

"But over ten years his enduring legacy will also be that he built better public services, a strong economy, that Britain's reputation in the world is stronger than ever before and that at all times he tried to do the right thing," he said.

The church also had a good word for him. "Tony Blair always welcomed what he termed prophetic wisdom from the Church on matters of state, even where such wisdom took the form of criticism or disagreement," the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, said.

"Tony Blair has understood as well as any Prime Minister in recent times why religion matters, how faith communities contribute to the common good and why religious extremism should have no place in a progressive society," said Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. "As a man of genuine personal faith, he has not shied away from the risk associated with confronting extremism, while respecting difference."

Durham North West MP and former chief whip, Hilary Armstrong took time to remember the human side of the Prime Minister.

"I have never seen him lose his temper, never be discourteous to colleagues and he is a real human being," she said.

"[Blair is] A political figure who is capable of thinking over the horizon. He's a long–term thinker. I'll miss Tony Blair. I have found him to be a man who's kept his word," said George W. Bush, US President. "When Tony Blair tells you something, as we say in Texas, you can take it to the bank. He's a remarkable person. And I consider him a good friend."

"Tony Blair has been an extraordinary leader of the United Kingdom. He and the president are strong friends and allies," said the White House spokesman, Tony Snow, noting the PM's close alliance with both Bill Clinton and – especially – George Bush that became a cornerstone of his foreign policy.

"But also, the prime minister has demonstrated the ability to work with presidents of both parties and maintain a long tradition of an alliance that is of extraordinary strategic importance," he added.

"Prime Minister Blair has had an enormous impact on world politics, and he certainly has had an enormous impact on the special relationship between the United States and Great Britain. He has been a friend, he has been steadfast in the face of negative public opinion, and in the face of crises he's stood steady. And we could always count on him," said Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State.

In Northern Ireland, where the peace settlement finally saw power–sharing between unionists and nationalist restored this week, there was united praise.

"There is no doubt the prime minister's concerted efforts helped in ultimately securing devolution in Northern Ireland," said Ian Paisley, first minister of Northern Ireland.

"The Good Friday agreement and the restoration of the political institutions would not have been possible without him," said Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Féin.

"Sinn Féin want the next British prime minister to be the last with any jurisdiction in Ireland and we will work hard to ensure that this is achieved in the time ahead," Adams said.

"Tony Blair has been one of the most successful political leaders of all time," said Scottish Labour leader, Jack McConnell and the country's first minister. "He changed Britain for the better, and forever. He delivered the greatest constitutional change in the UK for 300 years through devolution for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and achieved it without conflict or confusion."

"Tony Blair leaves office with an honoured place in our history assured. From his first days as prime minister he devoted unprecedented time and attention to bringing the appalling conflict in Northern Ireland to an end," said Bertie Ahern, Irish Prime Minister.

"[He brought] Britain from fringes to the mainstream of the European Union," said president of the EU commission, José Manuel Barroso. "He has brought to Europe energy, commitment and ideas and leaves an impressive legacy including his commitment to enlargement, energy policy, his promotion of action against climate change, and for fighting poverty in Africa."

"Britain has been under Tony Blair's leadership one of Denmark's closest international partners ... working together in the EU or in international operations in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan," said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark.

"He greatly contributed to the transformation of Britain, that Britain today is again competitive, a country with a significant influence, and at the same time he left an indelible mark on the British left," the Hungarian Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany, said.

The Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, said that with Mr Blair's departure "a prominent leader disappears from the European and world stage. During tense moments, Blair was the binding force. Blair did not shrink from rowing against the current if he thought it was necessary."

"Over 10 years, he achieved many things. He dealt with economic growth and also education reform, and had strong support from the British people," said Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

However, not everyone had good to say about him.

"Obviously some good things have happened in the past 10 years, not least the conclusion of the peace process in Northern Ireland just a few days ago. But when the PM speaks about 'some hopes had been disappointed,' I think that's putting it mildly. I think many people will look back [on] the past 10 years of dashed hopes and big disappointments. So much promised and so little delivered," said David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party.

"Iraq will be the defining feature of Mr. Blair's premiership. The greatest foreign policy mistake since Suez in 1956 has led to the death and injury of tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians, the tragic loss of life of over 140 British service personnel, and brought instability and insecurity throughout the Middle East," said Sir Menzies Campbell, leader of the Liberal Democrats.

"Tony Blair's legacy can be summed up in one word: Iraq. His undoubted achievements in office – notably the Northern Ireland peace process and positive measures such as the minimum wage – will be overshadowed by his fateful decision to take the country into an illegal and unnecessary war on a false pretence," said Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party.

"It's good riddance to bad rubbish. Tony Blair does have a few feathers in his cap: Northern Ireland, the Scottish and Welsh parliaments and the minimum wage – though not its poverty pay level. But he has had three landslide majorities and has presided over the fifth strongest economy in the western world, so it is difficult to understand how we can have the poorest pensioners in western Europe, and a gap between rich and poor which is wider now than when Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist," said George Galloway, leader of the Respect Party.

"Before he became prime minister, Tony Blair used to say that although he didn't expect business to love a Labour government, he was determined that the relationship should not be one of fear and loathing – as had been the case in the 1980s and early 1990s. He has succeeded in this goal, and moved the party firmly away from the wealth destroying policies of the past. More broadly, he has started a process of badly needed reforms in the public services, but it's been a case of too little, too late," said Richard Lambert, director–General of the Confederation of British Industry.

"Tony Blair's Labour government came to power promising an ethical foreign policy. Ten years later, he leaves office mired in blood and sleaze. Blair's devotion to BAE's interests will not be forgotten. His decision to curtail the BAE corruption inquiry is likely to become a classic case study of political interference in a criminal investigation," said Symon Hill, spokesman for the Campaign Against Arms Trade.

"Blair will be remembered for carrying on where Thatcher left off, with a legacy of war, privatisation and lies. He squandered a massive landslide from an electorate hungry for change, poured billions of public pounds into private pockets and accelerated the growing gap between rich and poor," said Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union.

"Many people were genuinely enthused by the promise of an 'ethical foreign policy' but the reality has been that Tony Blair has taken this country into numerous wars, costing hundreds of thousands of lives, and with the renewal of Trident, threatens literally hundreds of millions more," said Kate Hudson, chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. "We're glad he'll soon no longer be in a position to make such disastrous decisions."

"Blair simply did what his predecessors had always done: stood loyally by America. But Blair must know he is dealing with a tenth–rate intellect in the White House and furthermore with the shadiest people who ever grabbed power anywhere north of Paraguay," summed up American author Gore Vidal.

The European media were mixed in their response.

"The departure of Blair marks the end of an era. The conventional wisdom is that the Blair who began so well has lost everything because of his error over Iraq. But that error does not cancel out his innovations. For all his personal weaknesses, Blair was the only social democratic leader to take globalised capitalism for what it is. The European Left would do well to reflect on this," said Italian newspaper La Stampa.

"The closest ally of President George Bush will leave office undermined by the military intervention in Iraq.He will also leave the memory of a leader who contributed to bringing peace to Northern Ireland after decades of violence and who reformed the old Labour Party by bringing it towards the center," French newspaper Le Monde stated.

"Blair can look back on considerable successes: he achieved three election victories for Labour since 1997; he introduced a minimum guaranteed salary; the Bank of England became independent; and Scotland and Wales got their own parliaments," reported Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, (equivalent to the BBC). "However, future generations will remember Blair for the bloody chaos in Iraq. He never managed to get himself rid of his reputation of being 'Bush's poodle.'"

Key moments in Tony Blair's 10 years as prime minister:

May 1, 1997: Labour party wins 419 of 659 seats in House of Commons, ending 18 years of Conservative rule and making Blair the youngest prime minister since 1812.

May 8, 1997: Government announces it will set a minimum wage for British workers.

April 10, 1998: Blair and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern sign Good Friday peace pact for Northern Ireland.

Aug. 15, 1998: Irish Republican Army dissidents kill 29 people in explosion in Omagh, Northern Ireland; worst terrorist act in province's history.

March 24, 1999: Britain joins NATO bombing of Kosovo, later sending thousands of peacekeeping troops.

May 20, 2000: Cherie Blair gives birth to a son, the first child born to a serving prime minister since 1848.

June 7, 2001: Labour wins second landslide victory with 412 of 659 seats, but on record low turnout of 59 percent.

Oct. 7, 2001: U.S. and British troops attack Afghanistan to overthrow Taliban and weaken al–Qaida network after Sept. 11 attacks.

Feb. 15, 2003: More than 750,000 people march in London to protest the looming invasion of Iraq.

March 18, 2003: House of Commons approves British support for U.S.–led invasion.

July 18, 2003: David Kelly, a government weapons scientist who had expressed doubts that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, is found dead, an apparent suicide. Blair announces judicial inquiry.

Oct. 19, 2003: Blair, 50, is hospitalized for an irregular heartbeat.

May 5, 2005: Blair wins third successive election, but Labour's majority is cut from 167 to 66.

July 6, 2005: London wins bid to stage 2012 summer Olympics.

July 7, 2005: British Muslim suicide bombers kill 52 bus and subway passengers in London.

Nov. 9, 2005: Legislators hand Blair his first defeat in a Commons vote, rejecting legislation that would allow police to hold terror suspects for up to 90 days without charge.

March 15, 2006: Blair's authority is undermined as he relies on opposition Conservative votes to pass education legislation.

Sept. 7, 2006: Blair says he will leave office before September 2007.

April 20, 2007: Police conclude investigation of allegations that honours – including seats in the House of Lords and knighthoods – were offered for donations to the Labour and Conservative parties. Blair was questioned twice.

May 8, 2007: Former enemies from Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland join to form a new regional power–sharing government.

May 10, 2007: Blair says he will step down as prime minister on June 27.