London, May 11, 2007 - Tony Blair has announced that he is stepping down. He has served for over a decade in office as one of the most successful Prime Ministers of United Kingdom. It is Iraq and Blair's alliance with US President George W Bush that shot him to prominence.  Though criticized due to Iraq affairs, his statesmanship remained unquestionable.

''Britain and America are old allies and the prime minister and I are strong friends,'' Bush said in December last year.

Who would be the successor ?

In British parliamentary tradition, the leader of the largest party in Parliament serves as prime minister.

The announcement of Blair's timetable for his departure is likely to trigger a party leadership contest.

The British treasury chief Gordon Brown is the man widely predicted to succeed Blair as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party.

Brown has already been nominated by more than half of the Parliamentary Labour party and is unlikely to face a Cabinet-level challenge for the leadership of the after Blair steps down.