Tony Blair to face his monsters - BBC

[Wonk]

In just a few days, Tony Blair will finally face the monsters that have been stalking him since virtually the day he walked back into Downing Street for the second time.

And Michael Howard may get his best ever chance to bring down a Labour prime minister.

Thanks to some extraordinary and controversial timing, the backbench Labour revolt over tuition fees, the Hutton report into the death of Dr David Kelly and the lead up to the Iraq war will hit the prime minister on successive days.

more...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3400705.stm

[xray s]

1. If Blair gets tossed...

...will the new PM withdraw British troops from Iraq?

[AP]

2. If the new PM's a tory, they'll do whatever it takes to help Repubs and

fascists stay in power.

[xray s]

4. But initially wouldn't Blair be replaced by another Laborite?

Unsure how it works over there, but wouldn't the Conservatives have to win an election first before they could assume a PM'ship, and aren't the Conservative's about as unpopular as Blair right now?

[Manix]

5. Blair could be replaced by another Labor member if he were to

lose the confidence of his party internally. However, if he were to lose a "non-confidence" vote in the whole Parliament the government could fall and an election would ensue. Non-confidence votes are only held for a few select circumstances such as budgets. Not sure if it would be invoked here, but if it is, and he loses then his government is toast.

[AP]

6. Historically, my guess is that if there's a no-confidence vote, a

national election tends to be called early (so that the new PM can have a public ratification of their right to govern), and I'd bet the win rate is pretty low for the paty formerly leading. Perhaps M-V could fill us in with the facts.

For Labor to dump Blair would be a bad move and probably result in a Tory victory in an early election.

In fact, I think much of the anti-Blair sentiment is driven by this goal.

[Manix]

7. ...exactly...careful what you wish for!

nt

[T_i_B]

8. Spanish politician labels Blair an 'imbecile' on live television

Go Jose Bono!!! Looks like Blair is more interested in sucking up to the right than servin g the left.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/01/16/wspain16.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/01/16/ixportal.html

Tony Blair has been called "a complete dickhead" by a leading Spanish politician live on television. The comment was made by Jose Bono, one of the three most powerful figures in the Socialist Party. His remarks were not intended to be heard, but were recorded by a television team while he was talking to Joaquin Almunia, a former Socialist leader.

Mr Bono said: "Hey, and our colleague Blair? He's a complete dickhead (un gilipollas integral). He's an imbecile."

The comments contrast with the Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar's carefully cultivated friendship with Mr Blair. The party is irritated by Mr Blair's friendship with Mr Aznar and dislikes the resulting Anglo-Spanish alliance.

There is little question that were Spain's conservatives to lose power, the London-Madrid axis would collapse.

[AP]

9. Uhm, I saw that elsewhere. Here's another off-topic post:

I was listening to Democracy Now. They did a story on the US killing journalists in Baghdad. A woman rep'ing an inepedant group said they can't have a full investigation until the US agrees to something or other.

She said the British have been very cooperative and have signed on, but the US isnt' cooperating.

[T_i_B]

10. Our soldiers are not getting what (buf)Hoon promised them

Here are extracts from the text of audio tapes Sergeant Steven Roberts of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment recorded, including a number of complaints about equipment shortages, something the Army has repeatedly been criticised for. This guy was shot dead in Iraq after being asked to hand back body armour. This tragedy is result of faliure on the part of your political paymasters.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3399065.stm

[non sociopath skin]

11. Blair out?

You are probably right about right-wing anti-Blair campaigning.

However, the hope on the left is that Blair would resign and be replaced by a more user-friendly member of the Labour government. Under British electoral law there would be a peaceful handover, like that from Thatcher to Major, and there would be no new election.

However, the replacement would be likely to be the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, whose policies wouldn't differ significantly from those of Blair.

The Skin

[AP]

3. Does anyone here understand Blair's tuition plan?

It's genius.