Blair meets Arnie on last day as PM - News in brief - Evening Standard
       

Blair meets Arnie on last day as PM

Tony Blair has given his last press conference as Prime Minister, joining Californian governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to issue a plea for countries around the world to join the fight against global warming.

Standing alongside the former movie star at 10 Downing Street, Mr Blair borrowed a line from one of his Terminator films to say farewell, joking: "My press officer said to me, whatever else you do this morning, don't say: 'I'll be back'."

Mr Blair insisted he was not trying to give his successor Gordon Brown advice on how to govern after he takes over as prime minister on Wednesday.

Asked if he had any advice for the Chancellor, he replied simply: "No... because he is perfectly capable of doing the job on his own, thank you."

Mr Schwarzenegger said he would back Mr Blair's appointment as envoy for the quartet of the US, EU, UN and Russia which is leading the international drive for Middle East peace.

But the governor, who has made the battle against climate change a personal crusade, added: "Out of selfish reasons I hope that he becomes the envoy for the environment and brings all the countries of the world together to join some kind of treaty - a Kyoto kind of treaty - that everyone can join and we can all together reduce greenhouse gases.

"I think the Prime Minister is the only person who can do that."

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