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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Brown to become prime minister | Brown to become prime minister |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Gordon Brown is set to become prime minister, bringing to an end Tony Blair's 10 years in power. | Gordon Brown is set to become prime minister, bringing to an end Tony Blair's 10 years in power. |
| Mr Brown is expected to meet the Queen, who will formally offer him the role, at about 1400 BST. | Mr Brown is expected to meet the Queen, who will formally offer him the role, at about 1400 BST. |
| Mr Blair will leave office after his final prime minister's questions session. It is thought he will also announce he is standing down as an MP. | Mr Blair will leave office after his final prime minister's questions session. It is thought he will also announce he is standing down as an MP. |
| Mr Brown is expected to begin his Cabinet reshuffle by naming the next chancellor and home secretary. | Mr Brown is expected to begin his Cabinet reshuffle by naming the next chancellor and home secretary. |
| Priorities | Priorities |
| Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling, a close ally of Mr Brown, is widely tipped to become chancellor. | Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling, a close ally of Mr Brown, is widely tipped to become chancellor. |
| John Reid has also said he will step down as home secretary, leaving another Cabinet seat empty. | John Reid has also said he will step down as home secretary, leaving another Cabinet seat empty. |
| A fuller reshuffle of government jobs is expected on Thursday. | A fuller reshuffle of government jobs is expected on Thursday. |
| Mr Brown, who has been chancellor since Mr Blair became prime minister in 1997, has promised to create a government "of all the talents". | Mr Brown, who has been chancellor since Mr Blair became prime minister in 1997, has promised to create a government "of all the talents". |
| He has already offered former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Ashdown the job of Northern Ireland secretary, but this was refused. | He has already offered former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Ashdown the job of Northern Ireland secretary, but this was refused. |
| Mr Brown has singled out education and affordable housing as two of his key concerns, but says the NHS is his "immediate priority". | Mr Brown has singled out education and affordable housing as two of his key concerns, but says the NHS is his "immediate priority". |
| Iraq 'lessons' | |
| He has also admitted that Iraq is "a divisive issue for our party and our country" and pledged to " learn lessons that need to be learned". | He has also admitted that Iraq is "a divisive issue for our party and our country" and pledged to " learn lessons that need to be learned". |
| The parents of soldiers who have died in Iraq will protest in Downing Street as Mr Blair leaves No 10. | The parents of soldiers who have died in Iraq will protest in Downing Street as Mr Blair leaves No 10. |
| Members of Military Families Against the War say they are determined the outgoing PM "will not be allowed to forget the suffering he has caused". | Members of Military Families Against the War say they are determined the outgoing PM "will not be allowed to forget the suffering he has caused". |
| There has been speculation that Mr Brown might call a general election next year, rather than waiting until 2009 or 2010, after he announced he had appointed Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander as Labour's campaigns co-ordinator. | There has been speculation that Mr Brown might call a general election next year, rather than waiting until 2009 or 2010, after he announced he had appointed Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander as Labour's campaigns co-ordinator. |
| George Bush supports a plan to make Mr Blair a Middle East envoy | George Bush supports a plan to make Mr Blair a Middle East envoy |
| Mr Blair is expected to attend a meeting in his Sedgefield constituency, in County Durham, on Wednesday evening to announce he is standing down as an MP after 24 years. | |
| It is thought he will be confirmed by the Middle East "quartet" of the US, Russia, the UN and the EU as an envoy to the region. | It is thought he will be confirmed by the Middle East "quartet" of the US, Russia, the UN and the EU as an envoy to the region. |
| After prime minister's questions in the Commons, Mr Blair will return to Downing Street to say goodbye to his staff, then visit Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation as prime minister at about 1330 BST. | |
| Mr Brown is expected to deliver a brief address to the nation in front of No 10, before entering as prime minister. | |
| John Prescott will step down from frontline politics after 10 years as deputy prime minister. It is not certain whether Mr Brown will appoint a replacement. | |
| On Tuesday, Mr Brown was "delighted" by the defection of Tory MP Quentin Davies to Labour. | On Tuesday, Mr Brown was "delighted" by the defection of Tory MP Quentin Davies to Labour. |
| The MP for Grantham and Stamford wrote in a letter to Conservative leader David Cameron that the party seemed "to have ceased collectively to believe in anything, or to stand for anything". | The MP for Grantham and Stamford wrote in a letter to Conservative leader David Cameron that the party seemed "to have ceased collectively to believe in anything, or to stand for anything". |