Miliband supports Blair for EU role

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has given his strong backing to Tony Blair's candidacy to be the first permanent President of the European Union.

But he ruled himself out of the other high-ranking post created by the Lisbon Treaty, High Representative for Foreign Affairs, saying: "I am not a candidate for that. I am not available."

Mr Miliband said that a Blair presidency would be "very good for Britain as well as very good for Europe" and said he was "puzzled" by Conservative opposition.

The Foreign Secretary, a close personal ally of Mr Blair, appeared to suggest that the former Prime Minister would be interested in the post only if it gave him real political clout in the international arena.

The leaders of the 27 EU member states meet in Brussels on Thursday to thrash out the remit of the new president, with some of the smaller states believed to favour a low-profile role involving little more than chairing meetings.

Mr Miliband indicated that Mr Blair wanted a job in which, when he arrives in foreign capitals, "the traffic does need to stop" and he is guaranteed access to political leaders at the highest level.

The Foreign Secretary said: "I think it is very important for Europe that it has a strong figure in that role, it has someone able persuasively to advocate the case that is decided by the 27 member states of the EU.