Tony Blair Set to Quit on May 9

[Errigal]

22 April 2007
BLAIR SET TO QUIT ON MAY 9
By Rob Gibson

TONY BLAIR will leave Downing Street before a decision is taken on charges in the cash for honours affair.
The Prime Minister was yesterday said to be preparing to stand down on May 9.
That will trigger a seven-week leadership election process in the Labour Party and a new PM - probably Gordon Brown - will move into 10 Downing Street at the end of June.
But Westminster sources say the Crown Prosecution Service are highly unlikely to make a decision on charges before Blair leaves office.
Police investigating the alleged exchange of honours for donations to Labour delivered their 216-page report to prosecutors on Friday.
Sources claim there is enough evidence of wrong-doing by key Blair aides to justify criminal charges.
Yesterday, Westminster insiders claimed that Blair would go before the CPS could make a decision.
One Labour MP said: "He is going on May 9 - the day after the Northern Ireland Executive takes power.
"He wants to go out on a high note, not wait around to hear if or when the CPS are going to prosecute any of his friends.
"That would be the worst possible way to bow out."
Police are said to be determined that charges should be laid against three people involved in the cash for honours affair. It is believed officers leaked information that their inquiry had uncovered "serious wrongdoing".
And Government figures reckon that was done to increase the chances of the CPS deciding to bring charges.
Blair and some of his closest aides have been questioned during the 13-month investigation.
The inquiry, by Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner John Yates, has widened in recent months to look into any attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Scotland Yard said that 136 people had been interviewed during the inquiry. All denied wrongdoing.
The inquiry began after it emerged that secret loans had been made to Labour before the 2005 general election. Some lenders were subsequently nominated for peerages. During the course of the inquiry, four people were questioned under caution.
Blair's chief fundraiser Lord Levy, No.10 aide Ruth Turner and multimillionaire businessman Sir Christopher Evans remain on police bail.
The PM's political secretary John McTernan was also quizzed.
In a statement, the CPS said they had received the file and that the police would be told of the decision "in due course".
It would be made public after the parties concerned had been told, the CPS added.

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[Marcus Marulus]

He' ll never quit. He is eternal, he is immortal, he is genius, there's no-one who could possibly replace him.