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Brown launching bid to be leader Brown launching bid to be leader
(about 2 hours later)
Chancellor Gordon Brown is preparing to officially launch his bid to be the next Labour leader and prime minister.Chancellor Gordon Brown is preparing to officially launch his bid to be the next Labour leader and prime minister.
Following Tony Blair's announcement that he will step down on 27 June, the process of selecting a successor begins - with Mr Brown overwhelming favourite. He is the overwhelming favourite to succeed Tony Blair, who has announced he will step down on 27 June.
The only other contenders, backbench Labour MPs Michael Meacher and John McDonnell have yet to say if they have enough backers to enter the race. The only other potential contenders, backbench Labour MPs Michael Meacher and John McDonnell, have yet to agree which one will mount a challenge.
Mr Brown is expected to pledge to make Britain a "better and fairer" place. On Friday Mr Blair endorsed Mr Brown's leadership bid for the first time, saying he gave it his "full support".
Gordon would welcome any contest that there is and the opportunity for debate that will bring Leader of the Commons Jack Straw Gordon would welcome any contest that there is and the opportunity for debate that will bring Leader of the Commons Jack Straw class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6645465.stm">Blair bids farewell to Chirac class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6615303.stm">Analysis: What will PM Brown do?
Under the slogan, Gordon Brown for Britain, it is understood the chancellor will set out his priorities for the country during a tour of marginal constituencies in London and the South East of England. The BBC has been told Blairite MPs Stephen Byers and Alan Milburn will also nominate Mr Brown for the Labour leadership in an apparent effort to bury the hatchet.
Leader of the Commons Jack Straw, Mr Brown's campaign manager, said the chancellor would welcome any challengers for the Number 10 job. The chancellor is launching his campaign, under the slogan Brown for Britain, with a tour of marginal constituencies in the South East of England, where he will set out his proposals to make the country a "better and fairer" place.
"I'm not worried about a challenge. Gordon's not worried about this either, Gordon would welcome any contest that there is and the opportunity for debate that will bring," he said. Commons leader Jack Straw, Mr Brown's campaign manager, said he wanted to "reach out" to the voters that had brought Labour to power in 1997.
Terrorism
He told BBC Breakfast Mr Brown wanted to "build on the achievements of the New Labour government under Tony Blair as well as listening and learning from the things that haven't gone as well".
HAVE YOUR SAY I feel like Brown has been snuck in through the back door Luke Frost, Sunderland Send us your commentsHAVE YOUR SAY I feel like Brown has been snuck in through the back door Luke Frost, Sunderland Send us your comments
Mr Straw added that during the next six weeks the chancellor would be setting out his strategy to make Britain "not only a better place, but a much fairer place as well". He would also recognise "that life today in 2007 is different from life in 1997".
Mr Brown is unlikely to face a Cabinet-level challenge for the leadership. Issues such as climate change and terrorism were "not there so starkly 10 years ago" and had to be addressed, added Mr Straw.
But he could still face competition from one of the two left-wing backbenchers - Mr McDonnell and Mr Meacher. He also suggested Mr Brown could introduce Britain' first written constitution, in an attempt to restore people's trust in politics.
The pair met on Thursday, as planned, to see who had the most support, with the idea that the one with the least support would step aside. Mr Straw hit back at criticism of Mr Brown's "dour" personality, saying "appearances can be deceptive".
At all times he tried to do the right thing Gordon BrownChancellor class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6645465.stm">Blair bids farewell to Chirac US relations
However, a press conference after that meeting was cancelled, with the two saying their numbers of backers were "too close to call" and further clarification were needed, with the decision postponed. He said people would see a different side to the chancellor when he became prime minister and was able to "play to his wider strengths".
Candidates need the signatures of 45 Labour MPs to enter a contest.
After Mr Blair's resignation speech, the Labour Party's website removed the slogan "New Labour, New Britain", closely associated with the current prime minister, and replaced it with a logo designed for the leadership campaign.
It features a red rose accompanied by the words "Labour leadership elections".
However, a party spokesman said the New Labour branding would be replaced after the leadership elections.
BLAIR ANNOUNCEMENT Q&A: What happens now? Analysis: Blair's exit messageBLAIR ANNOUNCEMENT Q&A: What happens now? Analysis: Blair's exit message
Mr Blair first told the Cabinet of his departure plans on Thursday, before travelling to his constituency to make a speech to party activists. He also denied claims there would be a cooling in relations between Downing Street and Washington under a Brown premiership.
He acknowledged his government had not always lived up to high expectations but said he had been "very blessed" to lead "the greatest nation on earth". He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Gordon Brown and George Bush don't know each other anywhere near as well as Tony Blair and George Bush.
Mr Brown, who attended the Cabinet meeting, said of Mr Blair that people would remember "how he led the country after 7 July, how he responded for the world after 11 September in America, how he responded to the tragic death of Princess Diana". "That relationship will develop. But I am clear certainly from my own conversations with George Bush that the relationship will develop.
He said Mr Blair's legacy would also be better public services and a strong economy adding: "At all times he tried to do the right thing". "And what's more the fundamentals of British foreign policy will remain."
The prime minister will travel to Paris later to say farewell to the outgoing French President, Jacques Chirac, and to welcome the President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy. Debate
US relationship He said Mr Brown would welcome a contest for the leadership and the "opportunity for debate that will bring".
Meanwhile, Mr Brown has given the first hint that under his leadership there may be a cooling in Britain's relationship with the US. Mr Meacher and Mr McDonnell are still trying to muster enough support between them to mount a challenge.
In an interview with this week's Time magazine, he was non-committal - talking only of the strong shared values and interests of Britain and America and his belief that they will endure. The two rivals were meant to reach agreement on Thursday on who would take on Mr Brown but the BBC understands there was confusion after some Labour MPs pledged support to both men.
He was asked if, after his meeting last month with the president, he believes President Bush is a man he can do business with. They will now meet on Monday - when Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) will open nominations - and the one with the fewest confirmed backers will stand aside.
He replied: "President Bush is the elected leader of the American people. I was pleased to have the chance to talk to him... I have over the years worked with different administrations... And I think with both parties in America relationships are strong." Both camps insist it is too close to call between the two of them - and that between they have the 45 nominations needed for one of them to get on to the ballot paper.
Mr McDonnell said he "welcomed" Mr Brown's offer of a debate on Labour's future direction and said he would be taking part.
But he added: "If Gordon wanted a real debate when Labour party members had the chance to vote he could ensure that both prospective challengers were on the ballot paper by asking this Sunday's NEC to lower the nomination level required for a candidate to stand."
The prime minister will, meanwhile, travel to Paris later to say farewell to the outgoing French President, Jacques Chirac, and to welcome the President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy.
Mr Blair's successor will be announced at a special party conference on June 24.Mr Blair's successor will be announced at a special party conference on June 24.