EON

London – Tony Blair Wednesday stepped down as Britain’s prime minister after 10 years at the helm, handing over office to his Labour Party successor, Gordon Brown.

Blair formally resigned from office during an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, which he attended with his wife, Cherie.

Blair is widely expected to be named special envoy of the so- called Middle East Quartet working to revive the peace process.

Earlier, Blair had been given a rapturous farewell in parliament, where politicians of all parties gave him a standing ovation.

During his last appearance at the dispatch box, he praised the British armed forces for their role in Iraq and Afghanistan and said he was “sorry” for the dangers they were facing.

Blair and his wife were swept out of Buckingham Palace after the audience, and were believed to be on their way to Sedgefield, Blair’s parliamentary constituency in northern Britain.

Blair, Cherie and their four children Euan, 23, Nicky, 21, Kathryn, 19, and Leo, 7, had earlier appeared on the steps of Downing Street for a last time.

The picture resembled that of May, 1997, when the Blairs, except Leo, first moved into Downing Street after Blair’s landslide election victory.