Blair may miss G8 for date at Olympics

Tony Blair will personally lead the final sprint of London's Olympics campaign.

The Prime Minister will launch a series of special events next month - and may even dash to Singapore when the Olympics chiefs gather there to announce their final decision in July.

Mr Blair's decision to involve himself so prominently in the 2012 bid climax will inject new hope among London's supporters.

Downing Street called it "a symbol of his commitment to the bid - and his total support for the excellent bid team, who he feels have done a superb job." Mr Blair's spokesman added: "We are going for this hell for leather."

No 10 is drawing up a timetable of events to plug the Olympics campaign running through June. Details are being kept under wraps to avoid giving away tactics to rival cities.

Solid government and public support for a bid is considered vital to success in the final vote.

As host, Mr Blair is due to be side by side with French president Jacques Chirac at a G8 summit in Gleneagles when the Olympics decision is announced on 6 July.

But there has been speculation Mr Chirac plans to sneak away from the summit to Singapore if he thinks the rival Paris bid is winning.

This week's Queen's Speech unveiled an Olympics Bill to enable major redevelopment, which will be rushed through Parliament if London's bid succeeds.