Click to play videoNew Delhi: Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday announced his resignation, after 10 years in power.
He made the announcement in his constituency of Sedgefield, ending 10 years as leader of his country.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown is the clear favourite to succeed him.
Blair has stopped just short of openly endorsing Brown, a stern Scot who has long coveted the top job. Last week, Blair said Brown would make ''a great prime minister''.
Blair had come under a great deal of criticism for his delay in resigning.
Blair's earnest announcement had been long expected. But he kept the timing a secret almost to the end.
The announcement came days after Blair celebrated the 10th anniversary of Labour's landslide election victory of May 1, 1997.
The 54-year-old Blair saved his long-expected announcement until he returned to the district where he won election to Parliament in 1982, and where he announced in 1994 that he was a candidate to leader the Labour Party.
"As for my leadership through out third ten years, where the predictable has competed with un-predicted, right on the onset on thing was clear to me – without the labour party allowing me to lead it, nothing could have been done," said Blair in his speech.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced right after Blair's speech that he, too, would resign.
The timing of Blair's resignation announcement is significant. It comes on the heels of his success in facilitating a new power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.
In 1997 Blair became prime minister at the age of 44, the youngest in that office since 1812.
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