UK PM Blair to resign next July, newspaper says

London, Sep 6: British Prime Minister Tony Blair will step down on July 26 after quitting as Labour Party leader on May 31 next year, the Sun newspaper reports in its Wednesday edition.

''It's been known to me for some time that the Prime Minister has had a date in mind, and we've been working hard on it,'' the newspaper's political editor George Pascoe-Watson told Sky News television.

''We've actually been able to nail down the date that he has put in his diary.'' Blair's office declined to comment on the story: ''We have no intention of commenting on any speculation of the timetable,'' a spokeswoman said.

The right-leaning tabloid, Britain's largest-selling daily newspaper, has a reputation for accurate political scoops.

Pascoe-Watson said he believed Blair's finance minister and likely successor, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, was aware of the date.

Blair would step down as party leader and eight weeks would be needed for Brown to see off party challengers to succeed him.

''The interesting question is whether or not the chancellor knew privately of the date, and I believe the chancellor did know of the prime minister's intentions to leave during this timetable. I think the chancellor would like the prime minister to say this in his own words.''

Reuters