Teaching Comparative

Tony Blair's Tempest

The Guardian (UK) reported on the ongoing maneuvering going on within the Labour Party. How much is jockeying for position within a new Labour government and how much is Tony Blair's ambition to remain in office longer than Margaret Thatcher did?

Seven quit government in Blair protest

"Seven members of Tony Blair's government resigned today in protest at the prime minister's reluctance to publicly name a departure date.

"One junior minister, Tom Watson, quit as well as six parliamentary private secretaries, after 48 hours of leaks and rampant speculation about an exit timetable.

"The open rebellion, after Downing Street dubbed reports of Mr Blair quitting next May 'speculation' but did not deny them, led the Conservative leader, David Cameron, to describe the Labour party as in 'meltdown.'...

"A parliamentary private secretary is the most junior role in government, essentially a conduit between ministers and backbenchers...

"The Sun today claimed that Mr Blair would resign as Labour leader on May 31, sparking an eight-week leadership contest that would see him leave Downing Street at the end of July...

"If Mr Blair resigned on May 31, it would mean he had been the prime minister for 10 years and 30 days - still short of Mrs Thatcher's 11 years at the helm."




Blair's offer: I will go in a year. Brown: that's not good enough

"Gordon Brown made clear yesterday that Tony Blair's coded offer to leave Downing Street within the next 12 months was not good enough.

"Allies of the chancellor said that Mr Brown was demanding that the prime minister set a timetable for his departure and make the details public.

"Mr Brown also wants Mr Blair to rein in the chancellor's critics, such as Stephen Byers and Alan Milburn, who have been making speeches and writing newspaper articles arguing that Blairite reforms be continued after he has stepped down..."

posted by Ken Wedding @ 10:11 AM