UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has recorded a podcast for his local paper, The Northern Echo. Blair recorded a special message for the paper serving his constituency of Sedgefield to mark the launch of the paper’s new podcasting site.

Audio and video downloads are available at the paper’s site.

While the paper is explicitly announcing a new podcast, no podcast feed is clearly marked at the site at this time, and the site also returns no search results for “podcast.”

“In 100 years time another Prime Minister may be using even better technology to get across what newspapers do which is inform people about events and launch some fantastic campaigns that make a real difference to people’s lives,” said Blair.

The Echo is planning to offer a wide range of podcasts via the new site. Editor Peter Barron has recorded a podcast of his paper’s popular Dad at Large column and Mike Amos, who has just been awarded an MBE, will also contribute.