Uk's Blair Faces Test of Ability to Hang on to Power
British Prime Minister Tony Blair faces a key test of his ability to hang on to power on Sunday, September 24, 2006, as Finance Minister Gordon Brown seeks to allay doubts about his suitability to take over from Blair. The annual conference of the ruling Labour Party opening on Sunday is crucial for both Blair and Brown, whose uneasy relationship has dominated British politics for nearly a decade. Blair, who quelled a party revolt this month by pledging to step down within a year, will hope to shrug off pressure to go sooner than that.