Blair will be gone by Christmas, say friends

[Laura PourMeADrink]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/31/nblair31.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/03/31/ixnewstop.html

Blair will be gone by Christmas, say friends
By Toby Helm, Chief Political Correspondent
(Filed: 31/03/2006)


Tony Blair is to announce his resignation by Christmas, members of his inner circle believe.


Tony Blair has been hit by sleaze allegations
The Prime Minister's closest aides feel that, following a series of damaging rows over education and "sleaze", he will quit within nine months.

The disclosure comes as John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, agreed to try to broker an agreement between Mr Blair and back-bench MPs over the succession after being warned that uncertainty about the leadership is having a disastrous effect on Labour morale.

Joan Ruddock, a former minister, raised the issue of the succession, including the timing of Mr Blair's departure, with Mr Prescott at a meeting of Labour's parliamentary committee on Tuesday.

The committee - which holds a weekly meeting with the Prime Minister - is made up of a small group of senior MPs elected by backbenchers to pass on the views of the parliamentary party. Mr Prescott was in the chair because Mr Blair was abroad.

snip

[shenmue]

1. I wonder...

if he'll have the decency to resign, or if he'll let the electorate chase him out.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. I think he's ready to go now -- he's got Carlyle Group, or similar...

lined up, will make a ton of money, and can have a house in England big enough to call, as they do there, a "pile," and another house in France, where he loves to spend holiday time.

[Greeby]

8. We don't get a vote on it

Only the voters of Sedgefield can decide his fate and they blew it last year.

In theory, we wouldn't have to face them in any capacity until 2009

[physioex]

9. I used to think highly of him.....

He was a cool person in the Joe Montana tradition, before he chummied with Shrub....

[hlthe2b]

13. Ditto... the story is that Clinton convinced him to chum with Bush*

and to become his poodle. This just slays me.....

[midnight]

18. What is this Clinton / Bush connection?

Periodically this pops up and I've read it in a book by ,David Icke, that I can't decide if it is the craziest thing to ever be written.

[physioex]

21. Clinton and Shrub....

Have some business dealings going on and I am pretty sure it has to do with the Carlyle group and Frank Carlucci, and James Baker.

[jwirr]

26. I would like to see documentation. These are the kinds of things

that make me distrust Bill & Hillary.

[physioex]

27. Just do...

A Google Search on the Carlyle group and see what comes up. We do live in the information age.... ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlyle_Group

[tenshi816]

30. I wouldn't depend on Icke as a reliable source.

Seriously. Believe it or not, he used to be a professional football (soccer to the Americans) player, as goalkeeper for Coventry City Football Club. After that he became a popular BBC sports commentator, but then, in 1991, he kind of had an on-air breakdown while being interviewed by British TV and radio personality Terry Wogan, insisting to the incredulous interviewer that he was the Son of God, among other things. Shortly thereafter he proclaimed himself a guru, subsequently refusing to wear clothing in any colour other than turquoise and ranting about child-molesting lizards, shapeshifters, aliens and the New World Order to anyone who would listen. Needless to say, he no longer works for the BBC.

I feel sad about Icke's very public unravelling years ago, but I take everything he says with several grains of salt. The man sees conspiracies in everything.

[physioex]

19. I hear ya....

Wonder what happened to Bill and why he decided to cozy up with the Carlyle group?

[savemefromdumbya]

16. no he wasn't cool

[physioex]

20. That is blatently obvious now....

I thought he would more reflect the open liberal ways.

[savemefromdumbya]

29. His Conservative father

http://iraqinews.com/people_blair.shtml

[jwirr]

25. I agree but the day *ss got hold of him that was the day he went

down. They have to pay him off or he will have a lot to say about *ss and co.

[rooboy]

2. Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus... n/t

[liberal N proud]

3. Wish his buddy in the White House would go with him.

[katinmn]

4. Bush will be weaker with out Blair. Maybe we can lose both

of them this year!!

[saltpoint]

5. Perhaps he will flee to Egypt on camels. You know -- something Biblical.

Blair's disgrace is that he surrendered his intelligence for a lick at the teat of power. In that respect he resembles Condiliar Rice, who like Blair is a genuinely intelligent human being who nevertheless pays homage to Power and lots of it, even when it's wielded by corrupt morons.

Shame on Tony Blair.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

7. I've been hoping to find a thread where I can post this video! gwb and

blair expressing their true feelings for each other!

http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/multimedia/bushblair_endlesslove.mov

MKJ

[Blaq Dem]

10. Someone should stick a big red bow on his head on his way out

[cleofus1]

11. whatever happened to that guy....

he could have been a contender...he could have been somebody...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Which multi-national corporation will he join, I wonder?

:freak:

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. Why is he waiting so long?

[savemefromdumbya]

15. How do you mean gone? Heart attack?

when the doo dooo hits the fan over here Bush and Bliar will be toast.

What needs to happen to the OLabour Party is this. Clear out all the Blairites and take the party back.

[myrna minx]

17. Tony Blair really fooled me.

I really thought he was going to be something wonderful for Britain after all of those years of Tory rule. I was amazed by the Good Friday Peace Accord, and has truly hopeful. But he let his mask slip, and the darkness that permeates greedy bastards like himself, will always reveal itself. What a tool. :cry: I can't believe how fooled I was.

[tenshi816]

32. I've never liked or trusted him.

Even before he was Prime Minister, I thought he was a grasping, self-serving little shit. Blair loves power and he loves being the centre of attention. Like GWB, he didn't enter politics to serve the public's interest; it was because he thought it was a cool job and everyone would look up to him and fawn over his every move.

Edited to add that the Good Friday Peace Accord had more to do with the sadly deceased MP Mo Mowlam and the two architects of the agreement, David Trimble and John Hume (who were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts) than it did Tony Blair himself. He just smiled and took credit. Did I mention that I don't like Tony Blair?

[CJCRANE]

22. He's outstayed his welcome by a long shot..

time for him to go and peddle his PNAC-sponsored nonsense somewhere else.

[TheBaldyMan]

23. we can only hope

personally I think next week is too late, never mind December.

He's hanging on too long and is like Thatcher towards the end of her premiership, an isolated and unpopular electoral liability without the good sense to step aside.

on edit: I'm surprised the Telegraph could find anyone still willing to be identified as his friend. I think he's trying to goad the left wing into a leadership contest so a right wing candidate can run against Chancellor Brown.

[tenshi816]

31. I'm convinced Blair will go out kicking and screaming.

He likes being Prime Minister too much to give it up easily, and Cherie won't want to give up all the freebies that come her way. This sounds like I'm being facetious, but I'm not.

You know, we might have been spared the little weasel if he'd become a rock star like he wanted instead of falling into politics as his Plan B.

[sutz12]

24. Funny how he won't retire/resign until after our mid terms, eh? nt

[0007]

28. Gone by Christmas and drinking with the Carlyle Boys at the New Year's

Eve party.