British Prime Minister Tony Blair has stated his intention to resign before the next election. It’s nearly certain he will be replaced by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, who promises to distance himself from the White House, "speak his mind," and put Britain's national interests first.
The Prime Minister has refused to set a date for his departure, saying only that he will leave sometime before September. Most people believe he will exit in May, giving himself a full decade in office. Others believe he will go sometime before May to give his successor time to assure a maximum Labour vote in the May elections for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and local councils.
Pollsters are predicting a heavy defeat for Labour in the May elections. They may well be right. I predict that the arrogant Blair will again put his legacy before the Party and Britain's national interests by staying in office until at least May, assuring his decade as Prime Minister. Not only that, but Labour is currently conducting an extensive policy review, which Blair hopes will secure his legacy by entrenching long-term plans for public service reforms. It is highly unlikely that he will leave before its conclusion.
Many people also believe he will hang on as long as possible in the hope that Northern Ireland's devolution can be restarted while he is still in office. All these things make it unlikely that he will be stepping down any time soon - and unlikely his successor will have any time to influence the vote in May, if in fact Blair doesn't stay on for the elections.
The Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, put it best: "We have a constitutional novelty. A prime minister with responsibility and no authority and a chancellor with authority but no responsibility. How can this dysfunctional government conduct the affairs of the country?" The latest Labour party scandal proves he is right.
Former Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has caused a massive stir in the UK by removing her dyslexic son from a state school. Ms Kelly said she was doing "the right thing for my child” in paying 15,000 pounds (about US 30,000) per year in fees to move her son into private schooling. A boarding school in distant Oxfordshire is Ms Kelly's choice, despite there being 20 schools close to her home - six with either outstanding or excellent Special Education Needs (SEN) services according to a recent Ofsted report. Downing Street almost immediately released a statement supporting MS Kelly and Opposition Leader David Cameron, who has a son with cerebral palsy.
Article comments
1 - Zedd
Thank you Liam
I had heard it suggested that he may be leaving in May. Off course some are eager for him to vacate much sooner.
Tell me, what happened with him? He started out so strong then all of a sudden he turned into Bush's lap dog. What is fascinating is that he is incredibly intelligent and shrewd. A friend of mine was just certain that Rove had filmed him in a bizarre naughty situation and THAT was the reason for his being on board so vehemently.
2 - Atomboy
Ah, yes, Tony Blair, the genesis of New Labour and now its nemesis, hanging round its neck like a millstone and bringing the whole thing collapsing down upon himself. That chap who started with the fresh, young face and open grin and now has the bulging eyes of the mentally disturbed and the grimace of someone who knows the game is up.
The problem is, he so desperately wants to be loved that the more he sees he is hated, the more he will dig his heels in and stay.
New Labour had their time in the sun like the Tories under Mrs Thatcher. People eventually saw both of them to be corrupt, so now it's back to the wilderness.
If a week is a long time in politics, why do they learn nothing in ten years?