Blair's son wins internship at US congress

The Independent | June 27, 2005

London - Prime Minister Tony Blair's eldest son has won a prestigious place as an intern working for an influential lawmakers' committee at the US Congress, Blair's office said on Sunday.

Euan Blair, 21, will take up a short, unpaid internship with the Rules Committee of the House of Representatives in Washington DC, a spokesperson for the prime minister's office said. He didn't specify when the internship would start or how long it would last.

The prime minister's son also hopes for an internship with a Democratic member of Congress, the spokesman said.

Tony Blair asked the British Embassy in Washington to get involved in the internship arrangements "for obvious reasons," the spokesperson said, without giving further details.

Competition for such placements is intense

A stint working as an intern in Congress or the White House is highly prized by bright young Americans with political ambitions, and competition for such placements is intense.

Euan Blair has just completed an undergraduate degree course in ancient history at Bristol University, a well-regarded college in southern England. He is due to graduate this year, the prime minister's spokesman said.

The Rules Committee, which plays a key role in the US legislative process, is chaired by Republican lawmaker David Dreier.

The Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported that Dreier would mentor Euan Blair, whose father leads Britain's traditionally left-of-center Labour Party. It said the internship would last three months. - Sapa-AP