London, Sep 27 (DPA) British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in an emotional farewell to his Labour Party Tuesday, pledged to "heal" past divisions and said he would use his "remaining time in office" to help advance peace in the Middle East.

Blair, who has led Labour since 1994, has said he will hand over power "in the next 12 months".

"The truth is you can't go on forever, but of course it's hard to let go," Blair declared to rapturous applause. But he left open the exact date of his departure.

"From now until the day I leave office, I will dedicate my efforts to advancing peace in the Middle East," Blair told the conference.

"I may not succeed, but I'll try," he added, comparing his quest for Middle East peace to his 1990s efforts to help negotiate a lasting peace settlement for Northern Ireland.

Blair used his farewell speech at the party conference in Manchester, northwest Britain, to pay tribute to Gordon Brown, the chancellor of the exchequer tipped to take over from him as leader.

The success of New Labour and three consecutive election victories would "never have been secured without Gordon Brown", Blair said.

"He is a remarkable man, a remarkable servant to his country, and that is the truth," Blair said about Brown, while stopping short of endorsing him as his favourite candidate for the succession.

In a reference to the recent infighting and tension in the party over his departure, and some of his policies, Blair said: "I want to heal."

A lot of "lies and a lot of truths" had been spoken in the last few weeks, Blair added.

He made a joke of a controversial remark by his wife, Cherie, who was reported Monday to have accused Brown of "lying".

After thanking Cherie for her support over the years, Blair added to cheers: "I mean, I don't have to worry about her running off with the bloke next door."

The Blairs and the Browns live next door to each other in Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street.

In his wide-ranging speech, Blair listed Labour's progress and achievements over the past 10 years, and outlined his own "route map" to a possible fourth election victory.

But Blair also delivered a typically staunch defence of his policies on law and order, anti-terrorism legislation and immigration.

Referring to criticism of his close relationship with and support for US President George W Bush, he said: "Yes, it's hard sometimes to be America's strongest ally."

He added: "Yes, Europe can be a political headache for a proud sovereign nation like Britain. But believe me there are no half-hearted allies of America today and no semi-detached partners in Europe."