Premiership of Tony Blair elected Labour leader as the only successfully nominated candidate with 313 nominations compared to John McDonnell's 29 at close of nominations on 17 May 2007, the result being declared formally and coming into effect on 24 June 2007 with Tony Blair resigning as Prime Minister on 27 June 2007 and Gordon Brown being asked to form a government by The Queen later that day. Blair stepped down as an MP immediately triggering a by-election in Sedgefield. He has declined the traditional seat in the House of Lords offered to former Prime Ministers, commenting that it is, "not my scene" Tony
Premiership of Tony Blair Prime Minister for the last time. His successor was widely expected to be Gordon Brown, the-then Chancellor of the Exchequer, who launched his leadership bid on 11 May 2007. The only other politician to formally declare himself a contender for the Labour leadership following Blair's departure was the left-wing Labour MP John McDonnell, who launched his campaign on 14 July 2006. To stand in the leadership contest, candidates required the nominations of 12.5% of sitting Labour MPs—then 44 MPs. On 2 May 2007, on the tenth anniversary of the 1997 general election, Tony Blair announced that he would be stepping