Blair faces conflict at home as ceasefire is delayed

[cal04]

PRESIDENT BUSH and Tony Blair agreed yesterday to back a new UN resolution sending a multinational force to Lebanon, as criticism grew of their failure to call for an immediate ceasefire in the region.


(snip)
Labour backbenchers were not impressed by the meeting. An ultra-Blairite MP said last night: “This is incredibly damaging for Tony. It is not really because people think that we are doing the Americans’ bidding. What is dawning on the Parliamentary Labour Party is that Tony Blair actually believes this, and that almost makes it worse. He is now losing goodwill at a pace that is amazing.” Other Labour backbenchers believe that the moves announced at the joint press conference did little to reverse the impression that the US and Britain are allowing Israel to act with impunity.

(snip)
Alan Simpson, MP for Nottingham South, added: “The press conference just added insult to injury. Blair and Bush are now alone in their own theatre of the absurd. It is like a plan to offer counselling after a hanging — the corpse is not too interested in what they have to offer.”

(snip)
Sir Menzies Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: “This press conference was profoundly disappointing. It seems as if the Prime Minister is impervious to the views of the majority in this country and of the wider world. Every day of grace afforded to Israel and Hezbollah will result in more casualties and more destruction.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2290504,00.html

[Greeby]

1. Well, what are you going to do about it, Alan?

THe power to get rid of him rests with you and your party :eyes:

[rurallib]

2. Question is what happens if they dump Tony-poochie?

Gordon Brown? Is he that far from Tony's views?
New elections? certainly the conservatives are worse and the liberals probably won't win. So will his party toss him?
Kind of like that neat problem if Bush is impeached you get Cheney, impeach Cheney you get Hastert etc.

[partylessinOhio]

3. I predicted this earlier today during the press conference. The Brits

were under the impression that Blair came here to demand a ceasefire. Instead the little Poodle just rolled over for *. He could just as well have phoned or emailed in with that.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. With accompanying cartoon:

http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,325341,00.jpg