Tony Blair is for the first time letting it be known that he is open to the idea of campaigning to become the European Union’s first full-time president, a post that will be filled by EU member states later this year.

In the seven months since he quit as prime minister, Mr Blair has given no indication that he would be interested in the role. He has left it to France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, to argue that the former premier should be the first holder of the 2½-year rotating presidency.