Blair must go quietly - TUC boss

[struggle4progress]

Tony Blair must quit in time to allow his successor a smooth transition to power, TUC chief Brendan Barber said.

He said after having its majority slashed at May's election the Labour government needed "new impetus".

Asked if Gordon Brown should succeed Mr Blair, Mr Barber said the chancellor had "enormous respect" from unions.

"I hope there is an orderly transition and it takes place in time for the new leader to stamp their personality and authority on the government," he said. <snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4222232.stm

[rurallib]

1. Doesn't Labor have a party caucus coming up this month?

Speculation last May was that Tony might be shown the door during that caucus. Can you help on this?

[JoFerret]

2. Party conference.

Brighton September 25th-29th.

[Ken Burch]

3. Here's the dilemma:

On the one hand, much of the Labour Party has turned against
Blair, rejecting his insistence on keeping Britain in the
Iraq War, his abandonment of most of Labour's principles
and his suppression of internal party democracy.

On the other hand, Blair and his allies still have many of these
same people convinced that if it weren't for Blair and
his approach to politics, Labour might never again have
won an election and might not win any more without him.

They're being chased by a torch-wielding mob and fear leaping off a cliff, in short.

[JoFerret]

4. A shift now

...allows for the potential of renewing thos old labor values and still maintaining the mantle of electability. Too bad that neither Robin Cook nor Mo Mowlem are around to help.

Bottom lines - Blair must go. Tories must be kept out. Let the LibDems nip at the Labour heels and nudge them to honesty.

[replacement]

6. I'm doubtful as to whether the Lib Dems will be much help

They're already talking about forming a coalition with the Conservatives if no party wins an overall majority at the next election (these coalitions are common in local government), and moving further to the right in terms of policy during this parliament, including doing a 180 on income tax from supporting a higher top rate to promoting movement towards a low tax flat-rate system- I personally think that they need nudging towards honesty as much as anyone.

In practical terms this means Labour MPs- a pretty supine bunch overall at the best of times- and many Labour members will be all the more nervous of getting rid of Blair after having it drummed into them for so long what a great electoral asset he is, because the anti-Tory safety margin provided by the (always slightly dodgy, I think) presumption that they would be the Lib Dems preferred coalition partners within a hung parliament is being taken away. Whether or not Blair really is an electoral asset any more is highly debatable to say the least, but polls suggesting Gordon Brown would be more popular aren't that much use when the real issue is how popular Brown would be a couple of years into actually leading the party. I have a nasty feeling that Blair might be around for considerably longer than many suspected immediately after the last election.

[struggle4progress]

7. Thanks for your comment.

And welcome to DU! :)

[PassingFair]

5. Holy Crap! Do we have DLC agents over there?

Sounds like our own "labour" party scenario.

[goforit]

8. LOL!!!...The DLC, like Bush and Blair whores to mass failure.

Great point you made.

Nothing like being united in failure, eh?