Blair 'right' for EU presidency

Tony Blair would make an “excellent” first president of the European Council, Gordon Brown said today.

Speaking in Brussels at the start of a two-day EU summit, the British Prime Minister said Mr Blair had the right credentials for the job.

However, he stressed Mr Blair had yet to declare himself as a candidate and the EU leaders had yet to agree whether to establish the presidency under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty.

Mr Brown told a news conference: “We, the British Government, believe that Tony Blair would be an excellent candidate and an excellent person to hold the job of president of the council.”