Blair's future dominates Westminster

[JoFerret]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3659023.stm

It is becoming virtually impossible for any minister to get through a media interview nowadays without being asked about the prime minister's future.

Ever since the war on Iraq there has been widespread gossip and speculation around Westminster about his leadership.

But his about face on the European constitution appears to have shifted the speculation onto another level.

Downing Street, needless to say, dismisses all this and there is the underlying suggestion it is all being got up by the media. But that is difficult to sustain.

When senior Labour figures like Neil Kinnock openly speculate about the prime minister "hanging up his boots", that is pretty impossible to ignore.

Equally, when cabinet ministers do little to hide their anger at the way the prime minister handled the constitution U turn - or make it plain, albeit privately, that they are fiercely opposed to a referendum - that is bound to add spice to the brew.

But what many are now openly talking about is the fact that the prime minister, like others before him, has now lost his authority.
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[mike_c]

1. poodle bites it..., poodle chews....

Where is Frank Zappa when we need him?

[Gildor Inglorion]

2. Poor Old Tony...

I once admired him as the very model of a progressive, liberal politician. His tragic decision to back the foul Repug cabal unlawfully running this country has, of course, changed my mind. I wish now he'd just slither away.

[BillZBubb]

3. Maybe Labour will wake up and shed the Poodle!

Blair is a seriously flawed human being.

[dusty64]

6. We can hope, I

find it hard to believe he is around. Hopefully he and chimp will realize that you can't keep sticking your finger in the People's eye without serious ramifications.

[MrPrax]

4. He has even bigger problems...

Full Court Press? Kinnock, then the EU flip flop and now...

Diplomats turn on Blair over Israel

Key points

• More than 50 former diplomats signed a letter to Tony Blair criticising his policies in the Middle East.

• They urged Mr Blair to either persuade the US to change its approach in the region, or to withdraw his support from America.

• The officials described the current policies regarding Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as both "doomed to failure".

Key quote:

"We the undersigned former British ambassadors, high commissioners, governors and senior international officials, including some who have long experience of the Middle East and others whose experience is elsewhere, have watched with deepening concern the policies which you have followed on the Arab-Israel problem and Iraq, in close co-operation with the United States."

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=472772004

[Matilda]

5. Blair sold his soul to Rupert Murdoch

in return for the backing of the Murdoch media. It didn't seem to
occur to him that if he followed policies that were directly
contrary to the wishes of the majority of the electorate and even
his own party, that even Murdoch couldn't save him.

For an intelligent man, he's really been very, very stupid.

[T_i_B]

7. I honestly cannot see

anyone out there in a strong enough position to give the PM a push, because I cannot see him giving up power willingly.