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Blair steps down as Sedgefield MP

Tony Blair has resigned as MP for Sedgefield in order to accept the job of Middle East envoy for the US, Russia, the UN and the EU. Mr Blair, who stepped down as Prime Minister yesterday, announced he would also resign as an MP to take up the post for the Middle East quartet. Mr Blair has been MP for Sedgefield in County Durham since 1983.

The Labour Party had been put on standby that Mr Blair might announce his resignation as an MP as he handed over the British premiership to Chancellor Gordon Brown. Mr Blair’s constituency agent, John Burton, told the BBC he knew Mr Blair wanted the envoy job and would encourage him to take it.

Mr Burton said: “I have always said that if he gave up his seat it would be for a big job on the worldwide stage. And of course there’s the possibility of him working for the quartet, America, Russia and Europe in the Middle East and I know he would like to do that. If he gets that position we would encourage him to take it up.”

Mr Blair himself said that the role of Middle East envoy was too time-consuming to enable him to devote the appropriate energies to his constituency, and that the voters deserved a full-time representative.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .