Voters delivered their final verdict on Blair ahead of his expected departure after 10 years in power -- and Labour were ousted as the biggest party in the Scottish Parliament, left looking for a coalition partner to stay in power in the Welsh Assembly and pounded in English local councils.

Though Labour avoided the meltdown some pollsters predicted, Blair's likely successor, finance minister Gordon Brown, is set to take over the reins amid widespread voter discontent about the war in Iraq and a series of recent scandals -- as evidenced in Thursday's vote.

Brown insisted that Labour had put up a good fight but said it was prepared to take stock of voters' views.

"To all those who came back to Labour -- and to everyone throughout Britain -- my resolve is that we, the Labour Party, will listen and we will learn as we continue to work for and serve the people of Britain," he said.

Newspapers said Saturday that Labour's mid-term setbacks finally livened up British politics and set the stage for a new epic duel between Brown and main opposition Conservative leader David Cameron.

"The verdict on 10 years of New Labour is now in. The story is one of under-achievement," said The Sun newspaper of Blair's decade in power.