Blair hit for snubbing UN

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7360016%255E1702,00.html

PRIME Minister Tony Blair, currently in Britain pushing forward his domestic agenda, has been criticised for snubbing the UN General Assembly where his key ally US President George W. Bush has been defending the war on Iraq, The Times newspaper reported today.

"It is quite extraordinary that this prime minister, who set himself up only two years ago as a major world statesman, is not prepared to face his colleagues at the UN," opposition Conservative Party spokesman on foreign affairs, Michael Ancram, was quoted as saying in the daily.

As Mr Bush delivered his keynote speech yesterday, Mr Blair, who took Britain to war against Iraq alongside the United States, visited a London hospital to focus attention on the government's commitment to domestic issues ahead of his ruling Labour Party's annual conference next week.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is the government's most senior representative in New York while world powers such as France, Germany and Russia are being represented by their leaders.

"All the principals are here," an unnamed UN Security Council diplomat was quoted as saying in The Times.

[KoKo]

1. Yes......that was very odd....Bush/Blair break? Poodle Syndrom...Blair

Troubles with Hutton Report?

What would have caused this? It's VERY SIGNIFICANT!

[AWD]

2. Tony Blair WAS there

I swear I saw his feet under the podium when Georgie was talking.....

[leesa]

3. Maybe that's why he kept turning the pages the wrong way.

Bush is political poison to Blair. Blair still foolishly thinks he HAS a political career.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Here's the original Times story

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-828757,00.html
"Britain holds the Security Council’s rotating presidency. It has 12,000 troops in Iraq, Parliament is not sitting and the Labour Party conference is not until next week."
<snip>
Cabinet ministers told The Times last week that this was part of a strategy. One said that the Government wanted to use the Bournemouth conference to distance itself from the Bush Administration and reconnect with the party’s grass roots. Another added: “The party feels that it has lost him to international affairs.”


Unfortunately for Blair, the grass roots don't want him back. See
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=129897