MANCHESTER, England, June 25 (UPI) -- British Labor Party leader Gordon Brown is set to take over as prime minister when Tony Blair officially resigns Wednesday.
By appointing close friend and Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander as an election coordinator, The Times of London said Brown also gave his party a clear sign that he intends to run in a general election next year.
Vowing to heed the call for change, Brown became his party's leader at an emotional conference in Manchester, with Blair handing the leadership over to him in a brief speech, during which he described Brown as having every quality necessary to be a "great prime minister."
After Harriet Harman was elected Brown's deputy leader by a narrow margin, Brown made the surprise move of naming her party chairman, not deputy prime minister, as many had expected him to do.
His aides ruled out an election this autumn but The Times said Brown will probably run in the next 12 months if he thinks he can win.
