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LONDON - Chancellor Gordon Brown is to be formally confirmed today as the next leader of the Labour Party and as Tony Blair's successor as British Prime Minister.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer crossed the finishing line yesterday when it became clear that his only opponent, MP John McDonnell, would not be able to muster the backing of 45 Labour MPs needed to secure a place on the ballot paper.
McDonnell was nominated by only 29 Labour MPs, while Brown had secured the backing of 307 of 354. McDonnell later conceded defeat when another MP signalled his intention to back Brown.
Although Brown has won the leadership in an unopposed "coronation", he will have to wait almost six weeks before he moves into 10 Downing Street.
Blair could now face pressure to stand down earlier than June 27, the date he announced last week. "He is in office, not in power," one Labour source said.
As Blair had dinner with President George W. Bush on his final trip to Washington as Prime Minister, his allies insisted he would not stand down early.
Blair is determined to attend two important summits next month - a meeting of G8 leaders at which he will press Bush to join global moves to tackle climate change, and a European Union summit which will try to revive the EU constitution rejected by referendums in France and the Netherlands two years ago.
Blair aides pointed out that the "handover period" between American presidents lasts for two months and said the six-week delay would allow the "stable and orderly transition" that the Prime Minister and Chancellor both wanted.
- INDEPENDENT
