Blair-Schwarzenegger double act at final London press conference

Jun 26, 2007, 12:23 GMT

London - British Prime Minister Tony Blair Tuesday lived up to his image as a celebrity politician by hosting his last news conference for California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, known to film audiences around the world as The Terminator.

The two men, appearing before the press in London, issued a plea to countries around the world to join the fight against global warming.

Standing beside the former movie star at his offices in 10, Downing Street, Blair borrowed a line from one of the Terminator films to refer to his departure from office Wednesday.

'My press officer said to me, whatever else you do this morning, don't say: 'I'll be back.'

Schwarzenegger, asked what he would like Blair to do after leaving Downing Street, said: 'Out of selfish reasons I hope that he becomes the envoy for the environment and brings all the countries of the world together to join some kind of treaty that everyone can join and we can all together reduce greenhouse gases.'

'I think the prime minister is the only person who can do that,' added Schwarzenegger, who has made the battle against climate change a personal crusade.

Blair, who will end just over 10 years as leader Wednesday by handing over power to his successor, Gordon Brown, later took his guest on a tour of an 'economically-friendly' new school in London.

After excited children greeted the US governor with cheers of 'the Terminator,' Blair and Schwarzenegger sat under a 120-year-old plane tree to assess climate change projects by the school.

Schwarzenegger, impressed by the Catholic primary school's eco-friendly design, said: 'This is wonderful. I will take some brochures away with me to California to show them to our legislators.'

As they left, the two men were cheered noisily by the children as staff from the school and nearby offices crowded onto doorsteps to wave them on their way.