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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
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| Brown 'has what it takes' - Blair | Brown 'has what it takes' - Blair |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Tony Blair has for the first time endorsed Gordon Brown's bid to succeed him as prime minister, hailing his "extraordinary and rare talent". | Tony Blair has for the first time endorsed Gordon Brown's bid to succeed him as prime minister, hailing his "extraordinary and rare talent". |
| He said the chancellor had "what it takes to lead the Labour Party and indeed the country with distinction". | He said the chancellor had "what it takes to lead the Labour Party and indeed the country with distinction". |
| But the Tories said Mr Brown could not be the change people wanted as he was responsible for 10 years of "failure". | |
| Mr Brown, the firm favourite to succeed Mr Blair when he quits on 27 June, will later launch his leadership campaign. | |
| He could still face a challenge from one of two left-wing backbenchers. | He could still face a challenge from one of two left-wing backbenchers. |
| He can make a real difference to this country for the better and for the good Tony Blair 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? | |
| But there appears to be a coordinated effort among Labour MPs to unite behind Mr Brown, with Blairite MPs Stephen Byers and Alan Milburn also expected to nominate Mr Brown. 'Determined' | |
| Mr Blair, who until now has held back from endorsing Mr Brown's bid to replace him, said: "I am absolutely delighted to give my full support to Gordon as the next leader of the Labour Party and as Prime Minister and to endorse him fully." He added: "He has shown, as perhaps the most successful Chancellor in our country's history, that he's got the strength and the experience and the judgment to make a great prime minister." | |
| He said Mr Brown was "absolutely determined to drive the modernisation of the country forward in order to meet the challenges of the coming decade". "I also believe that, as someone who has known him for over 20 years as a friend and a colleague, he can make a real difference to this country for the better and for the good," he added. | |
| 'Reach out' | |
| Shadow chancellor George Osborne, for the Conservatives, said Mr Brown as chancellor had been "responsible for the failures of the past 10 years". | |
| HAVE YOUR SAY I feel like Brown has been snuck in through the back door Luke Frost, Sunderland Send us your comments | |
| "When you look at the things people are really fed up with, like the collapse of the pension system, like the failure to get money to the frontline of the health service, Gordon Brown is more responsible for that than any other politician including Tony Blair," Mr Osborne told BBC News 24. | |
| Referring to Labour's heavy election losses last week, he added: "I don't see how he could be the change that the country wants and the country voted for." | |
| Mr Brown is launching his leadership 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. | |
| 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. | 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 | 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". | 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". |
| He would also recognise "that life today in 2007 is different from life in 1997". | He would also recognise "that life today in 2007 is different from life in 1997". |
| Issues such as climate change and terrorism were "not there so starkly 10 years ago" and had to be addressed, added Mr Straw. | Issues such as climate change and terrorism were "not there so starkly 10 years ago" and had to be addressed, added Mr Straw. |
| He also suggested Mr Brown could introduce Britain' first written constitution, in an attempt to restore people's trust in politics. | He also suggested Mr Brown could introduce Britain' first written constitution, in an attempt to restore people's trust in politics. |
| Mr Straw hit back at criticism of Mr Brown's "dour" personality, saying "appearances can be deceptive". | Mr Straw hit back at criticism of Mr Brown's "dour" personality, saying "appearances can be deceptive". |
| US relations | US relations |
| 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". | 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". |
| BLAIR ANNOUNCEMENT Q&A: What happens now? Analysis: Blair's exit message | BLAIR ANNOUNCEMENT Q&A: What happens now? Analysis: Blair's exit message |
| He also denied claims there would be a cooling in relations between Downing Street and Washington under a Brown premiership. | He also denied claims there would be a cooling in relations between Downing Street and Washington under a Brown premiership. |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Gordon Brown and George Bush don't know each other anywhere nearly as well as Tony Blair and George Bush. | He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Gordon Brown and George Bush don't know each other anywhere nearly as well as Tony Blair and George Bush. |
| "That relationship will develop. But I am clear certainly from my own conversations with George Bush that the relationship will develop. | "That relationship will develop. But I am clear certainly from my own conversations with George Bush that the relationship will develop. |
| "And, what's more, the fundamentals of British foreign policy will remain." | "And, what's more, the fundamentals of British foreign policy will remain." |
| Debate | Debate |
| He said Mr Brown would welcome a contest for the leadership and the "opportunity for debate that will bring". | He said Mr Brown would welcome a contest for the leadership and the "opportunity for debate that will bring". |
| Backbenchers Michael Meacher and John McDonnell are still trying to muster enough support between them to mount a leadership bid. | |
| 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. | 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. |
| They will now meet on Monday - when Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) opens nominations - and the one with the fewest confirmed backers will stand aside. | |
| 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. | 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. | 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." | 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." |