Glenda Jackson - Somewhere else to go

[Englander]

Glenda Jackson
Thursday May 12, 2005
The Guardian

On the eve of the 1997 general election, the Sun splashed with its historic editorial: "We Back Blair!" Praise was lavished on the leader, while his party rated scarcely a mention.

For many, the distinction between and endorsement of Tony Blair the individual, rather than the Labour party collectively, passed unnoticed. But for the prime minister it was to define how he was to govern over the years that followed. Bernard Ingham once famously described John Biffen as "a semi-detached member of the cabinet". In Tony Blair we have the nation's first semi-detached prime minister.

His strategy has differed. At times the attitude towards his party has been one of barely concealed embarrassment. At others it has come in the form of direct confrontation. But throughout, his message to the electorate has been clear: "I may be leader of the Labour party, but I'm not a part of it."

Last Thursday, that strategy fell apart. Some people are still trying to redefine the election result as a triumph. Get real. It's bad enough that we saw our majority slashed by almost 100 seats, lost scores of dedicated MPs and saw our share of the popular vote plummet to a pitiful 35%. But what's unforgivable is the way we let that shambolic, extremist, reactionary political entity called the Conservative party come back from the brink.

More at;
Guardian Unlimited

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I recognize similar ambivalence among the democratic leadership in

this country.

[Jack Rabbit]

2. I was thinking the same thing.

At times (Blair's) attitude towards his party has been one of barely concealed embarrassment. At others it has come in the form of direct confrontation.

That could be Al From and Bruce Reed taking about the Democratic Party's base.