Blair determined to remain on the world stage

LONDON: Tony Blair could make a fortune from his memoirs and speaking tours. But whatever he does, the British premier seems determined to keep busy and above all maintain his involvement in world affairs.

The 54-year-old, who announced his resignation on Thursday, has hardly ever spoken of his future plans for fear of diverting attention from the final months of his premiership.

When Blair has occasionally lifted the veil of secrecy, though, he has made plain his intention to remain a major player on the international stage.

"I think the single thing for me that is most important is that whatever I do afterwards has a real purpose to it, that it is not just about doing a job," he said in December. 

"This is a position that, once you have occupied it, you have done something that has what I call a real life purpose to it."

"And certainly in anything I wanted to do afterwards, it would be a different purpose but similar in its motivation."

Blair is highly likely to step down as a lawmaker at some point soon, even though Downing Street last week dismissed a report that he would resign his parliamentary seat at the same time as he stopped being premier. 

Once he goes, he could retain global influence either by taking on a high-profile job in an international institution or by setting up on his own.