Friday, September 8 2006 11:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Faced with a string of resignations and bitter feuding in his Labour party, embattled British Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday (Sept 7, 2006) said he would step down within a year but refused to set a definite departure date.

"The next (Labour) party conference in a couple of weeks will be my last as party leader, the next TUC (Trades Union Congress) will be my last TUC, but I'm not going to set a precise date now for leaving office," Blair said outside a London school.

Blair said the past week has not been our finest hour, to be frank. I think what is important now is that we understand that it's the interests of the country that come first and we move on.

"I would have preferred to do this in my own way but it has been pretty obvious from what a lot of my Cabinet colleagues have said earlier in the week," he said.

The premier said he believed it was not right to set a precise date now.

"I don't think that's right. I will do that at a future date and I'll do it in the interests of the country and depending on the circumstances of the time," he said.

Seven members of Blair's government resigned Thursday (Sept 6,2006) asking him to announce the date of his departure from office.

Junior Defence Minister Tom Watson had said Blair's continuation was not in the interests of the country or the ruling party.

Six more Parliamentary Private Secretaries Khalid Mahmood, Wayne David, Ian Lucas, Mark Tami, David Wright and Chris Mole - quit their posts soon after Watson resigned because Blair has not ended the uncertainty over when he intends to step down.