A defiant British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday rejected calls by rebels within his party to name the day he will stand down, saying it would "paralyse" government.
After one of the most bruising weeks of his nine years in power, Blair vowed to forge ahead with market-inspired education and other reforms and to fight "all the way" traditional Labour Party leftists trying to block them.
Speaking at his monthly press conference in London, he also confirmed that he saw ambitious Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, the finance minister who has been waiting impatiently in the wings, as his obvious successor.
"To state a timetable now would simply paralyse the proper working of government, put at risk the necessary changes we're making for Britain and therefore damage the country," said the 53-year-old leader.
Blair announced after Labour's third election victory in May last year that he would serve a full third term in office but not run for a fourth when the next general election takes place, before May 2010.
But poor local election results last week, after a series of politically damaging ministerial mishaps and failings, revived pressure within the party for a timetable for his departure and a transition of power to Brown.
The prime minister retorted that setting out an exit date now would be exploited by leftists seeking to turn the tide against reforms undertaken by a party he had steered toward the centre with massive electoral success.
"That way lies not a fourth-term victory but a defeat and a return to opposition, and I will fight that all the way," he said.
He confirmed Brown was his top choice to succeed him and said he would tell Labour parliamentary colleagues later Monday that he would honour pledges to ensure a "stable and orderly transition to a new leader".
He also said he would stay on to fulfil his election mandate for reform of healthcare, pensions, schools and justice.
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