Labour endorses Brown as head of party

LONDON: Long heralded and often rancorous, Britain\'s transfer of power from Tony Blair entered its final countdown Sunday when the governing Labour Party anointed Gordon Brown, ending an era in which Blair fought far-flung wars in the Muslim world, brought peace closer to home in Northern Ireland and struggled to reform public services.

The ceremonial crowning of Brown as the only candidate in a seven-week contest for the party leadership opened the way for a defining moment in his long rivalry with Blair when both men pay separate visits to Queen Elizabeth II next Wednesday, Blair to resign as prime minister and Brown to take over.

\"I am ready, ready to serve,\" Brown said in a speech to a special Labour conference in Manchester, where he defined himself as a \"conviction politician\" driven by values of \"duty, honesty, hard work, family and respect for others.\"

Those values \"guide my work,\" he said. \"They are my moral compass. This is who I am.\"

For Blair the moment was visibly poignant, foreshadowing a life beyond the almost presidential trappings of power he acquired in 10 years on the global stage, aligning himself closely with President George W. Bush and leading his land into a war in Iraq that cost him a level of popularity other British politicians might only dream of.

But for Brown it was a moment of vindication, the culmination of years of dogged political maneuvering to force Blair to redeem a pledge struck several years before Labour secured a landslide victory in 1997 to end 18 years in opposition.

The rivalry between the two men provided a constant sub-plot in British politics that sometimes took over the entire political arena - their critics called it a soap opera - as Brown pressed Blair to commit to a departure date and Blair sought to maintain his grip on power.

Yet, Blair said Sunday that the transition had been orderly, calling his successor \"a man with every quality to mark him out as a great prime minister of our country.\"

Blair flew to Manchester on Sunday from Rome where he had an audience Saturday with Pope Benedict XVI after a dizzying round of summit meetings and valedictory visits to Washington and parts of Africa. While he has only days left as prime minister he plans to address Parliament until the very last exchange of political vitriol with his political opponents, known as Prime Minister\'s Questions, on Wednesday. The visit to Buckingham Palace is supposed to offer the final curtain-call of a closely choreographed farewell.

Thereafter, there have been news reports here and in Washington that he may become a Middle East peace envoy, while his visit to the Vatican revived speculation in British newspapers that, once out of office, he would convert from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism. But Blair has not publicly revealed his intentions.

While there was no contest for the party leadership, six Labour leaders competed for the post of deputy - a position narrowly secured Sunday by Harriet Harman, a former government minister and Labour Party stalwart regarded as a close supporter of Brown. In a complex ballot she triumphed by less than 1 percent of the vote over another contender, Alan Johnson, the education minister.

Brown\'s rise to power has provoked forecasts among his Conservative foes that he will push for a greater redistribution of wealth from the middle classes feeling the strain of higher taxes imposed during his 10 years as chancellor of the Exchequer. Indeed, in his speech Sunday, he spoke of convictions that \"each of us has a responsibility to each other\" and \"when the strong help the weak it makes us all stronger.\"

He did go into detail about the future of Britain\'s 5,500 troops in southern Iraq - a number set to be further reduced - but, he said, \"we will meet our international obligations\" and \"be unyielding in our support for our dedicated armed forces.\"

Brown has been seeking to distance himself from the opprobrium attached to Blair for the entire Iraq campaign, which Brown described as \"a divisive issue for our party and country.\"

Setting ambitious goals, Brown pledged to work for greater access to higher education for poor families, broader home ownership for young people squeezed out of Britain\'s skyrocketing real estate market and improved care in the National Health Service.

He also sought to strike a balance between continuity with the Blair era - in which he was a major architect of domestic reform - and new departures to distance himself from Blair\'s troubles.

For many years, at such gatherings, Brown has been upstaged by Blair\'s charisma and rhetorical skills, but on Sunday, it was Blair\'s turn to slip away quietly through the crowds as Brown acknowledged his party\'s praise.

But the party had also given Blair a protracted standing ovation during his brief appearance to introduce his rival and offer his endorsement.

\"I know from his character that he will give of his best in the service of our country,\" Blair said of his successor. \"And I know from his record as chancellor that his best is as good as it gets.\"

By Alan Cowell