MPs pour scorn on Blair's new mission to act as 'faith healer'

Tony Blair is preparing a mission to build bridges between the major world religions when he leaves office, and plans to act as an ambassador for multi-faith dialogue in Britain and abroad.

Friends of the Prime Minister have told The Independent on Sunday that he is planning to set up a Blair Foundation soon after leaving No 10, and one of its main aims will be to promote communication between Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

But the plan has been greeted with incredulity among MPs who say he has done more to create divisions between Islam and the West than any Prime Minister in living memory. Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat MP, said: "He may want to build bridges between the world religions but the fact is he has already burnt them. He has been seen to be partisan in the Middle East, slavishly following Bush, and will have no credibility with the Islamic world. It shows how deluded he is. His bridge will at best be a pier."

Friends of Mr Blair said he has not yet fully formed plans for after he leaves office, or decided whether he will stay on as an MP, but he had, they said, begun discussing a foundation, based in London, where establishing inter-faith dialogue would be a key aim. "One of the things he wants to focus on is the inter-faith stuff," said one friend. "It has always been something he has been interested in." Mr Blair is a devout Christian, reading academic works of theology as well as the Bible and the Koran.

Mr Blair is expected to travel to his constituency on Thursday to make the long-awaited announcement of his resignation date to his local party in Trimdon Labour Club.

It is understood he will be travelling to Sedgefield following the Cabinet meeting on Thursday morning, where he is likely to tell colleagues the date of his departure.

Mr Blair is keen to try to use his status to build bridges between cultures in Europe and the Middle East. Healso plans to spend a good deal of time on the lecture circuit in America, where he will command huge fees.

Meanwhile, Gordon Brown received the backing of another key Blairite yesterday when John Hutton, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, joined Charles Clarke, the former home secretary, in offering his unequivocal backing. In an interview on GMTV he said: "He is going to be the next leader and I will do everything I can to support him because we need Gordon to win the next election for Labour, because that is going to be in Britain's long-term best interests," he said.

John Prescott is also expected to make an announcement of his departure date, triggering a deputy leadership contest.

Interesting? Click here to explore further