British Prime Minister BLair to go next year

London, Sep 6 (UNI) Prime Minister Tony Blair has allegedly caved in to the pressure from his MPs, by setting May 31 next year for his resignation as Labour leader, claim reports.

An eight-week leadership election campaign will follow allowing a new leader, the favourite being Gordon Brown to be chosen by July 26, when Mr Blair will step down as Prime Minister. 10 Downing Street described the claims as ''speculative'' but refused to deny their accuracy.

The development followed a day in which 17 formerly loyal MPs, including Government members, sent a letter demanding that he step down immediately. Two Cabinet ministers in the Blair government , David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, and Hilary Armstrong, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said they expected Mr Blair to go within a year. It also bore out a report in The Daily Telegraph at the end of June that Mr Blair had decided to go next May, after 10 years as Prime Minister.

The decision by Cabinet ministers to place a limit of a year on Mr Blair's tenure reflected mounting panic in Downing Street as up to 100 Labour backbenchers prepared to sign demand for him to set a clear timetable for departure.

But only last week the Prime Minister suggested he would not be pushed into making public a timetable for his departure. But since then aides have suggested he did not mean to appear defiant and had intended to reassure MPs he would not ''go on and on.'' On Tuesday, three letters circulated among MPs demanded that he make his intentions clear. Many of those who signed an initial letter sent to Mr Blair were formerly loyal supporters of the New Labour project. Those calling for him to go immediately included Tom Watson, a junior member of the defence team as well as Mr Watson, a supporter of Mr Brown, the signatories to the letter from the 17 MPs in the 2001 intake to Parliament included six parliamentary aides to ministers. Among them were Khalid Mahmood, Wayne David, Ian Lucas and David Wright.

UNI XC SY BS1622