Tony Blair formally endorsed Gordon Brown today to be prime minister _ the first time he has offered support for the British treasury chief's bid for the office. «I'm absolutely delighted to give my full support to Gordon as the next leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister and to endorse him fully,» Blair said, the day after announcing he would step down as Labour Party leader on June 27. Blair offered the endorsement while speaking at Downing Street following talks with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Blair praised Brown's success in managing Britain's economy, which is experiencing a period of unprecedented prosperity. -- SPA
