Blair gives Brown his full support

Tony Blair has fully endorsed Chancellor Gordon Brown to succeed him as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister.

He said: "I'm absolutely delighted to give my full support to Gordon as the next leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister and to endorse him fully."

It comes as Mr Brown formally launched his Labour leadership campaign, saying it would be "the greatest honour to be this country's Prime Minister".

Mr Brown said: "Tony Blair has led our country for ten years with distinction, with courage, with passion and with insight and in the weeks and months ahead my task is to show that I have the new ideas, the vision and the experience to earn the trust of the British people.

"Today there are new priorities and I offer a new leadership for this new time."

Asked why it "took so long" for Mr Blair to endorse him, Mr Brown said: "I am pleased that Tony Blair, who is my friend, has endorsed me this morning."

He added: "I believe it was the right decision that he was leader of the Labour Party in 1994 and then Prime Minister and he believes it's the right decision now that I am the right person and this is the right time for me."

He also welcomed "any other candidate who wants to stand", but that prospect appears to be receding with the two hopefuls from the party's left failing to agree which of them should run.

Former environment minister Michael Meacher and John McDonnell struck a deal that whoever received the least support would stand aside, giving the other an improved chance of getting the 44 MPs' nominations needed to reach the final ballot.

But after a private meeting they delayed the decision until Monday, saying their levels of support were "too close to call". The move immediately started speculation that even by pooling their backers the pair had been unable to achieve 44 nominations.

All the major Blairites thought of as potential challengers to the Chancellor have decided not to run. Home Secretary John Reid was the last to confirm he would not challenge, following Charles Clarke, David Miliband, Alan Johnson, and Alan Milburn.

Despite this Mr Brown will still have to attend party hustings even if he is the only candidate to replace Mr Blair, who revealed that he will resign as Prime Minister on June 27.

His successor will be announced at a special party conference on June 24. Mr Straw said of Mr Brown's candidature: "He has widespread support and I think that will be reflected in his nominations."

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