PM faces third term at the mercy of the Labour left

[Emillereid]

Patrick Wintour and Anne Perkins
Friday May 6, 2005
The Guardian

Tony Blair will have to overcome a newly influential leftwing in the Commons as he battles to legislate for identity cards, welfare reform and tightening of asylum laws, as he returns to power today with a reduced majority.

In the new politics of a third term, a weakened Mr Blair could find himself heavily reliant on disaffected backbenchers and members of the leftwing Campaign Group remaining loyal, or else see legislation cut down by an alliance of Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and his own rebels.

Even with a majority of around 80 it takes only 40 Labour MPs to rebel, a commonplace in the second parliament, for the legislation to be thrown out.
If the prime minister had had a smaller majority in the last parliament, according to the academic Philip Cowley, who monitors parliamentary revolts, Mr Blair would not have been able to push through university top-up fees (Labour rebellion 72) or foundation hospitals (rebellion 65).

<snip>
Leading leftwingers warned yesterday that they would not just oppose controversial New Labour policies, but also demand a new style of government. Some will also demand a rapid change of leader......

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1477844,00.html?gusrc=ticker-103704#article_continue

I'll bless the day that Bush's poodle is sent to the pound!!

[Erika]

1. Blair should be outed by December. If we could be so lucky

with W.

[CottonBear]

2. Who would be the new Labour PM?

I've been trying to keep up with all the latest developments but, because I'm an American, I don't completely understand the electoral politics.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

5. When Blair retires/or forced to resign

the Labour Party will hold a leadership election and decide upon a new leader. The Deputy PM runs the country until a new leader is elected my Labour members. (takes a month or two)

[Massacure]

13. It depends on who they elect. I would guess Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown is the one Blair has to thank for Britian's great economy. It would allow Labour to keep the strong economy going yet still get rid of the Iraq baggage.

[FreedomAngel82]

6. Hopefully

I hope he takes W with him. That would be nice to see him squirm in an international court.

[saigon68]

3. Get the Leash folks.

The Poodle will be walking by the end of 2006.


Especially if his "ADVENTURE" in Iraq-Nam keeps going so splendidly for him.

[Up2Late]

4. Here's a good link to the results , in real time

And YES the Liberal Democrats WON the 4.3% that Labour Lost (4.3%)!And they won one of the Plaid parties (Plaid Cymru) seats. England has a Plaid Party, that's adorable.:evilgrin:

<http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election2005/stateofparties/0,15991,1473522,00.html>

[TomClash]

9. Plaid Cymru is a Welsh party eom

[Up2Late]

11. Sorry, I forgot how sensitive the England v. Great Britten thing is.

By the way, according to an Ancestry/Coat of Arms computer program, My Irish Heritage, if you go back even further, goes back to, what this computer referred to as, the last Welsh King, back in the 11th Century.

My Irish side is Griffin, but I think the Welsh King was Griffith.

[IndianaGreen]

7. And former Labourite George Galloway defeated Blair apologist Oona King

George Galloway who was driven out of the Labour Party by Tony Blair took sweet revenge by taking a safe Labour seat and defeating Oona King. Here is the BBC story:

Shock win for Galloway in London

The Respect Party's George Galloway has taken the Labour safe seat of Bethnal Green & Bow in east London.

Oona King was deposed as the MP after former Labour member Mr Galloway forced a 26.2% swing in his favour, following a bitterly fought campaign.

Mr Galloway, who attacked Tony Blair in his acceptance speech, fought on an anti-Iraq war manifesto which appealed to the large local Muslim population.

Ms King was one of Tony Blair's most loyal supporters and backed the war.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/england/4520121.stm

[Emillereid]

8. Any Brits in the room? What would it take for Blair to have to resign -

could the labour left force a no confidence vote or something??

[CJCRANE]

10. Not sure

how it's gonna play out, I just get the feeling that most people want Gordon Brown to take over already.

It's probably up to the Cabinet though, if they stay loyal to him, he'll leave when he's ready in a couple of years. (I just remember that when Thatcher's cabinet turned on her she was out the door pretty quick).

On edit: I just realised why a lot of Brits have a visceral hatred of Blair, more so than myself.

Being an avid DUer since 2001 I knew from the get-go that the whole Iraq War was a fix-up so none of the ongoing revelations were a surprise. The difference is that most people believed the lies initially so when they found out the truth it was like a massive betrayal.

[Emillereid]

12. Yep -- cognitive dissonance is not fun!

Hell hath no fury like a person ' fooled.'