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BYE NOON: Blair to say farewell at 12 tomorrow Oonagh Blackman TONY Blair will finally bring the curtain down on his decade in power tomorrow - by announcing his retirement in his constituency of Sedgfield. The Prime Minister will make his long-awaited departure speech at noon in the place where he became an MP in 1983. Mr Blair will hold the weekly Cabinet meeting in Downing Street tomorrow morning before saying a few words of farewell. Advertisement When Mr Blair fires the starting gun tomorrow it will trigger a flurry of Labour Party activity - and pave the way for Gordon Brown's entry into No10 in July. The Chancellor will probably launch his leadership campaign on Friday, even though he will face no heavyweight challenge for the Labour crown. Labour's National Executive Committee will this weekend set out the timetable for the leadership and deputy leadership races. That means candidates will have from Monday until Wednesday next week to collect enough nominations to run. At present the seven-week contest is due to run until the end of June.
Mr Blair will use his remaining weeks at No 10 to step up pressure on health and school reforms. And he is expected to travel to Africa, the Middle East and Washington as well as holding talks with France's new President Nicolas Sarkozy. Yesterday Peter Mandelson, one of New Labour's architects, warned Mr Brown will lose the next election if he changes direction as PM. Mr Mandelson said a return to the "old ways" of putting the party before the public would lead to disaster.
May 10: Tony Blair announces he's off. May 11/12: Gordon Brown due to kick off leadership campaign. May 12/13: Labour's NEC sets timetable for leader and deputy leader contests. May 14: Candidates have three days to collect required 44 nomination signatures to join the race. May 17: Campaigning begins in what is expected to be a seven week contest. June 25: Campaigns come to an end. June 30: NEC announces new leader and deputy. June 30/July 1: Tony Blair leaves No10. July 2: Gordon Brown expected to go to see the Queen - and be formally invited to form a government. ---------------------------------------------------
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