Tony Blair finds that his backing for European President is ebbing away

Yes it is the latest downfall video

President Blair

One of Gordon Brown's worse nightmares may be coming true.

The Independent on Sunday reports that

Tony Blair has emerged as the leading candidate to become the first permanent president of the European Union

after Gordon has given

his grudging blessing to the plan

Blair wants to build bridges between Europe and the new Obama administration

According to an unnamed official,Gordon Brown

will have to swallow hard to sit down in meetings once again with Blair. But he accepts that there needs to be someone from the UK in the new global architecture. There is no opposition to the plan. Things have moved on, people have moved on."

Blair for President?

As speculation grows over whether Tony Blair will run for the job of EU president,this morning's Times asks Is President Blair the man for the job

The piece by Philip Webster political editor claims

Tony Blair will win the backing of Gordon Brown if he attempts to become the president of the European Council

,and that the former PM

is waiting to see whether the new post, created by the Lisbon reform treaty, lives up to the billing

.

Blair's biggest hurdle will be his steadfast support for President Bush over the Iraq war,a issue which has irked many of his European colleagues.Whether the rest of Europe is ready to forgive him for that and let him be their spokesman remains to be seen.

In the words of William Hague,we await the day that his Mercedes rolls down Whitehall.