Blair Refuses to Set Retirement Date

Tony Blair ruled out setting a timetable for leaving office as prime minister despite his party’s disastrous local election results, arguing Monday that he still has a mandate from voters who awarded him a third term last year.

Blair defied critics in his own party demanding he offer a systematic plan to hand over power to the next Labour leader — even as he repeated promises to stand aside before the next election.

“To state a timetable would simply paralyze the proper working of government, put at risk the necessary changes we are making for Britain and therefore damage the country. It wouldn’t end this distraction but merely take it to a new level,” [AMI: Does he really think it could be any worse without him???] Blair said at his monthly news conference.

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