How Does Tony Blair Survive?

[dreissig]

We're told that Tony Blair is enormously unpopular in Great Britain these days, but that's not new. We were told that since before the start of the war. How does he keep hanging on?

I thought that when a P.M. gets unpopular, the opposition calls for a vote of confidence. Well, what's keeping the opposition from doing that? What has to happen before Tony Blair has to vacate #10 Downing Street?

[jmatthan]

1. Labour MPs are as Sheeple

as many present Democrat Representatives and Senators.

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

[caledesi]

2. I honestly thought TB would be gone long ago. Oh well. nt

[Dirk39]

3. I fear it's pretty simple:

just imagine the DLC taking over the democratic party, becoming the government of the USA, starting and supporting an illegal war like the war against Iraq. And the only alternative left is Bush.
What would you do?
Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[cliss]

4. Well, as I understand it

Tony gets to stay in office 8 YEARS??? Is that how long they get to stay in England? As I recall, he was elected quite a while ago, and it seems he's got quite a few years left.

Stupid.

[tritsofme]

5. IIRC only Blair's party call for a vote

of confidence. And I believe his chancellor Gordon Brown (?)has been wanting to take over for quite awhile.

[LSdemocrat]

6. For one he really isn't that unpopular

in comparison to past prime ministers at their low points (Major in the mid-nineties, Thatcher in the early 80's). As proof, Labour still has a five-point lead in the polls. As long as Labour has that lead Labour MP's won't move on him.

[dreissig]

7. Sounds Plausible

That's an answer I don't welcome, but it sounds plausible. I've wondered whether Blair is really all that unpopular. If Labour has a five-point edge, they're under no pressure to dump their leader.

[Djinn]

8. Labor still preferred over the Tory's

that DOESNT mean that Tony Blair is the preferred PM.

Unfortunately he can still be popular with his party and not the people.

Look at Japan where an overwhelming majority do not want to send Japanese troops to Iraq - Koizumi will still do it and wont neccesarily be turfed out of office

Look at what Bush can get away with and how unpopular he is - no-one tried to remove him yet

in most western democracies you have a 2 party system and as long as "they" are out and "we" are in the parties couldn't give a rats what the public think

btw - Blair can stay in office for as long as people vote for him (or more precisely if the people vote Labor and the Labor MP's keep voting for him as head of the party) - no term limits in UK

[DeepModem Mom]

9. I live most of the time in London (for a few years)....

Tony Blair has brought the Labour Party sustained electoral success, so his party is extremely reluctant to turn him out. He is a gifted politician, with excellent powers of persuasion. He's an attractive, highly intelligent guy, a good debater in Parliament, and a leader. It was hard for me to give up on him, but the Iraq war finally did it, and his behavior during the Bush visit was offensive (for example, going out of his way to use the phrase "the President of the United States" again and again).

[Screaming Lord Byron]

10. He sacrifices children to Cthulu, I belive n/t

[truthspeaker]

11. he does not!

But if he thought it would get him votes he'd do it in a second. And then he'd tell the Labour party: "I know some of you disagreed with my decision to cut the still-beating hearts out of the chests of young children, but it's time to put that dispute behind us."