Key dates for Blair in coming months

LONDON, Sep 8 (Reuters) An uneasy truce has descended on the Labour party after Tony Blair's promise to go next year but several analysts believe he will be forced out long before then.

These are some key dates in the months ahead.

September 12 - Blair addresses Trades Union Congress annual conference in Brighton. Many of his modernising initiatives have angered the unions and surveys show sizeable numbers of their members would prefer him to go sooner rather than later.

September 24. - Labour annual conference begins.

Leader-in-waiting Gordon Brown speaks on September 25 and Blair on September. 26. Under Labour rules, a hostile bid for the leadership can only take place at the conference.

October. 9 - Parliament returns from the summer recess.

Jan. 1 2007 - Blair releases New Year message February. 16 - Labour's Spring conference in Glasgow.

April 1 - Campaigning starts for local government, Scottish and Welsh elections.

May 1 - Blair reaches 10 years in power, the milestone he is widely assumed to be aiming for before stepping down.

May 3 - Local elections, along with Scottish and Welsh assembly elections.

May 4 - The day several newspapers have tipped as the date on which Blair will stand down, triggering a six-week leadership election that will see Brown succeed him by mid-June.

REUTERS MS BS1457