Blair: Reward our support

Tony Blair moved to disarm his critics today after putting down a clear marker that he expects George Bush to become much more of a multilateral leader.

In a formal statement on the US election result, the Prime Minister renewed his support for the President over Iraq and offered his "warm congratulations".

But on key issues such as the Middle East peace process and poverty in Africa, Mr Blair also sent his strongest warning yet that it was time for real action in return for his staunch support for Washington.

He said the US should now be pursuing peace in the Middle East "with the same energy" it spent on bringing democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan.