Brown takes over as British prime minister

Brown has waited 13 years for this moment. Most keenly watched will be his policy toward Iraq. British troop numbers there have rapidly fallen during 2007.

Blair has left his successor an option to call back more of the remaining 5,500 personnel by 2008 — an opportunity likely to be grasped by a leader with a national election to call before June 2010.

“His hands, whilst not quite clean, are certainly not sullied,” said Alasdair Murray the director of CentreForum, a liberal think-tank. Brown can “portray it as Blair’s war and differentiate himself.”

Brown may sanction a future inquiry on Iraq, similar to the U.S. Study Group, telling a recent rally that Britain needs to acknowledge mistakes made over the conflict.

In Europe, bridges have been built with German chancellor Angela Merkel and new French president Nicholas Sarkozy, but tensions are likely to emerge.

1994 power pact?
The succession ends a partnership at the pinnacle of British politics that began when Brown and Blair were elected to Parliament in 1983 — sharing an office and a vision to transform their party’s fortunes.

It has been widely reported — but never confirmed — that the two agreed to a pact over dinner in 1994 — with Brown agreeing not to run against Blair for the Labour leadership following the death of then party chief John Smith.

In return, Blair reportedly vowed to give Brown broad powers as Treasury chief and to step down after a reasonable time to give Brown a shot at the senior post.

Though Brown, who was unopposed in a contest to select Blair’s successor, is moving jobs — he won’t be moving house.

He, his wife and two young sons already live in the private quarters at No. 10 Downing Street — the prime minister’s official residence — having switched homes with Blair’s larger family, who needed the roomier apartment next door in No. 11, Brown’s official residence.

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