By KUNA
London : Senior aides of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown are “plotting” to wreck Tony Blairs ambition to become the first permanent President of Europe amid fears that his appointment would reignite old divisions in the Labour Party, it was claimed here Monday.
The Brown camp is determined to enlist high-powered support within the EU to prevent a Blair bandwagon, backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, gathering pace, The Daily Telegraph newspaper said.
The newspaper said it has established that Blair is taking a serious and growing interest in the 200,000 pounds-a-year post, which would push him back to the centre of the international stage.
One authoritative source close to Blair said “In the end I think he will take it. If, as already indicated, Sarkozy wants him to get it, I cannot see why it will not happen. Sarkozy is one of the most powerful leaders. Will Gordon really be upset?” Brown is concerned that Blairs return so soon to the European political arena would open old wounds between the two camps, the daily said.
The pair had been getting on well since the handover last June and talk every three weeks.
As part of the thaw in relations, Brown has avoided making major policy speeches on the Middle East, where Blair is a special envoy.
Yet the mere mention of Blair becoming the first president is enough to irk the Prime Minister, who spent a decade in his shadow, the paper went on.
A Brown ally told The Daily Telegraph “Imagine what a field day the British media will have by comparing Tonys court in Brussels, to Gordons in London.” “Every pronouncement on Europe by either of them would be examined in minute detail for evidence of a split. It would be terrible in the run-up to an election,” he added.
In an interview for BBC TV yesterday, Brown insisted he had no problem with his predecessor getting the post, but gave somewhat luke warm backing to the idea.
“Blair would be an excellent president. I dont know whether he wants the job, its really a matter for him. He hasnt said to anybody whether he wants the job or not and it really is a matter for the future. Its not a matter just for me,” Brown said.
The first permanent President of the European Council will be chosen by the leaders of the EU member states. Britain will have no power of veto.
Brown has signalled privately that he will try to halt a powerful France-German axis forming behind Blair, who still commands huge influence on the European stage, the paper concluded.