UN Secretary General Tony Blair

Sky News asked the PM straight out at his monthly press conference today: are you angling for the UN Secretary General job?
Blair gave an unusually limp response, he had been elected for a full term only a year ago ... you know the rest.
Blair's recent speech at Georgetown University in Washington on the future of the UN is the most recent evidence that he might want the top international job. Seen by many as a manifesto, the PM set out his vision of a new, strenghtened, pro-active UN.
There is no doubt that Blair would relish a prominent international role when he leaves Downing St. As a former PM, a position in the European Commission would probably be sligtly below him, fit only for the Mandelsons and Kinnocks of this world.
No, the European Commissoner job would not be fitting for a former leader of a major nation. The EU Presidency might have been an option, but the rejection of the Nice treaty by French and Dutch voters means that reform of the EU has stalled. There is still no EU president.
In modern politics, what leaders do after they leave office is becoming increasingly important. Bush senior and Clinton have followed the example of Jimmy Carter, becoming involved in humanitarian work. Given the nature of Tony Blair, it is hard to imagine him leaving Downing St in his mid-50s to retire into obscurity.
Given the nature of Tony Blair, it is wise that his successor ensures he keeps his nose out of British politics once he leaves No 10. We do not want a repeat of the Thatcher/Major dynamic, with the deposed leader constantly whispering off stage.
So we are left with the prospect of a Blair-run UN. One small problem - the Arab world. Can anyone really see Blair getting support from people who regard him as a war criminal?
Hmm. He might have to settle for a role similar to that of former Irish president Mary Robinson - a UN High Commissioner. Perhaps not for Human Rights though.