PM: Blair right for EU presidency

Speaking in Brussels at the start of a two-day EU summit, the 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."

The Prime Minister arrived for the summit in campaigning mood, first attending a lunch meeting with fellow European Socialist party leaders and urging backing for Mr Blair.

Afterwards the Prime Minister acknowledged there would be other candidates for the job, and that the field would open up once the Lisbon Treaty was finally in force.

But, given Europe's priorities, Mr Blair was the right man for the task, he said. "The European agenda for the next five years will be jobs, growth, climate change and world trade. That is the long-term agenda and Tony Blair is well placed for that."

Asked about concerns over Mr Blair's past record, including the Iraq war, Mr Brown replied: "Iraq is not the issue for people in Europe now. It is jobs, growth, climate change and trade. People must look forwards and not backwards."

Asked if he was supporting Mr Blair because Mr Blair had told him he would stand for the job, the Prime Minister said: "We would like him to be a candidate. I do talk to Tony regularly. I talk to him most weeks about events that are happening around the world. But it is right (to point out) that there is no job of president yet established. After the Treaty (is in force) the field will open for people to be nominated."

It would be in British interests for the choice to be Tony Blair, Mr Brown went on, and his fellow Socialist leaders would be holding "consultations" in the next few weeks.