Brown backs Blair for EU presidency

Thu Oct 29 2009 18:39:57

Gordon Brown has said Tony Blair would make an "excellent" first president of the European Council.

Speaking in Brussels at the start of a two-day EU summit, the Prime Minister said Mr Blair had the right credentials for the job.

However, he stressed Mr Blair had yet to declare himself as a candidate and the EU leaders had yet to agree whether to establish the presidency under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty.

Mr Brown told a news conference: "We, the British Government, believe that Tony Blair would be an excellent candidate and an excellent person to hold the job of president of the council."

He added: "The European agenda for the next five years will be jobs, growth, climate change and world trade. That is the long-term agenda and Tony Blair is well placed for that."

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