British Home Secretary John Reid to Quit next Month
By Raza Mumtaz 'Pakistan Times' Executive Editor/UK Bureau Chief

LONDON (UK): British Home Secretary John Reid has said that he will leave office at the end of June and will not be running for the labour leadership.

It means that none of the party's stalwarts intends to challenge Gordon Brown for the post as the new Prime Minister.

Reid said: "I intend to vote for and support Gordon Brown, to put through the changes to the Home Office, and then to stand down - as Tony Blair goes - from the Cabinet and to give maximum opportunity to Gordon to bring in new people."

Reports say that such a move follows Tony Blair's backing for the Chancellor to lead Labour into the next General Election, insisting the party can bounce back from its latest battering at the polls.

For the first time, the Prime Minister offered an explicit endorsement of the Chancellor's ability to steer the party towards a fourth consecutive term in office.

Writing in the News of the World, Premier Blair acknowledged that Labour had a fight on its hands at the next election but argued that the Tories' policies were a "not thought through".

He said: "Gordon Brown by contrast is completely thought through.

"He has steered our economy from one of boom and bust to one of the best in the world.

"He didn't do it by choosing the easy way. He did it by sound judgment, holding his nerve and putting the long-term interests of Britain first.

"At General Election time, that is still the route to victory."

Blair's endorsement has come as it appears that Brown will face no heavyweight challenger for the leadership.

Former Home Secretary Charles Clarke has ruled himself out of the contest, saying there is "no appetite" for a potentially-divisive bid.●