President Tony Blair?

11.45am: PoliticsHome quotes William Hague saying the Tories do NOT want Blair as EU head honcho:

"Mr Hague said that reports that David Cameron had signalled his support for Tony Blair to become President of the European Union was "absolute nonsense". "That story I can tell you is absolute nonsense. We are not favour of a President of the European Union at all. Of course we don't agree that position should come into existence," he said. "We haven't spent ten years opposing Tony Blair as Prime Minister of Britain to agree to him becoming President of the European Union.""

***

The Times reports a "senior Tory" and the view that the Conservatives have "nothing to gain in being seen to try to block Blair” becoming the EU's first President.  The report continues:

"Some Conservatives say that Mr Blair’s economic liberalism and Atlanticism make him a more attractive candidate than any other possible contenders. “Frankly we could do a lot worse,” one well-placed figure said. Mr Cameron’s spokeswoman declined to be drawn on his attitude to a Blair candidacy. “We do not accept the need for an EU president,” she said."

The Times suggests that Blair has a 50-50 chance of becoming President of the EU but Nicolas Sarkozy has apparently cooled on the idea.

Tim Montgomerie