Blair leaves Parliament for Middle East role

Tony Blair has confirmed he will step down as an MP in order to focus on his new role as a Middle East envoy.

The news came in a statement from the Treasury, which appointed Blair to a Crown job which is incompatible with being a Member of Parliament and forces a by-election.

"The chancellor of the exchequer has this day appointed the right honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair to be Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern," it said.

Blair was also confirmed as the representative to the region for the quartet of the US, UN, EU and Russia.

Russia, which had expressed some opposition to the move, said it would not stand in the way of the appointment if the other three parties were in favour.

New Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the appointment.

"I am delighted that Tony Blair has been appointed as the Quartet's Middle East Envoy," he said in a statement.

"As British prime minister, he demonstrated his commitment, over the years, to advancing the peace process, and he brings to the job unparalleled international and diplomatic experience. He is exceptionally well placed to take on this role.

"The Quartet's efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict are vital not only for the region but for the wider international community.

"The Middle East peace process is one of our top priorities and we will obviously continue to support the Quartet and their new envoy in their work."

Earlier on Wednesday the former prime minister called for progress to be made on the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

In the Commons, Conservative leader David Cameron raised the ongoing problems in the region.

"Clearly this is a very difficult time in the Middle East, with a desperate situation in the Gaza strip and instability in the West Bank," he said.

Cameron argued that fighting between Fatah and Hamas was "all against the backdrop of a Palestinian economy that has failed to develop".

Speaking before his appointment, Blair said the "absolute priority is to try to give effect to what is now the consensus across the international community".

He said this was a "two-state solution" including a "Palestinian state that is not merely viable in terms of its territory, but in terms of its institutions and governance".

Cameron also called for continuing efforts to secure the release of BBC journalist Alan Johnston, who was taken hostage in Gaza more than 100 days ago.

Blair said the government "deeply regret the fact of his continued imprisonment" which is "completely without any justification at all" and was doing "everything we can" to secure his freedom.

And he added that the Palestinian people also "want to see a situation where hostage taking and violence is a thing of the past".