The Retreat from Brussels

Tony Blair is expected to bow out of the battle to become the EU's first permanent president by the end of next week if he fails in a last-ditch effort to win public support from the German chancellor.



Despite Gordon Brown's failure to win any substantial backing for him during informal discussions at a Brussels summit last week. Allies of the former prime minister insisted last night that his bid for the top EU job was still alive and that there remained a "decent chance" of success.