Tony Blair's supporters admit defeat in bid to win EU presidency

Allies of Tony Blair today conceded he is unlikely to win his fight to become Europe's first full-time president.

Soundings taken among EU leaders by his supporters suggest there is little chance of a victory when the historic appointment is decided over a lavish dinner on Thursday night.

Hopes also faded in Downing Street, although Gordon Brown was said to be continuing to promote his predecessor. Diplomats say the current mood is to pick someone from a small country with little international power instead of a "heavyweight" such as Mr Blair.

Shadow foreign secretary William Hague today urged the Prime Minister to abandon Mr Blair and instead lobby for a Briton to secure a top economic post on the European Commission.

He said the campaign for Mr Blair had been a mistake and showed how Mr Brown's "diminished authority" had put him under the influence of Mr Blair's old ally Lord Mandelson.