LONDON, May 10: British Prime Minister Tony Blair, already under a barrage of criticism from Labour Party rebels despite winning a historic third election, came under fresh fire on Tuesday over two government appointments seen as typifying his centralized grip on power. Most of the anger was aimed at Andrew Adonis, a controversial adviser who was named junior education minister, but also at party donor Paul Drayson, a pharmaceuticals tycoon and peer who became junior defence minister.
The criticism echoed long-held complaints from inside and outside the party that Mr Blair acts more like a US president who relies on unelected advisers than a prime minister who consults elected cabinet colleagues.
But it also reflected his aim to forge ahead with education reform, despite a perceived increased risk of angering party rebels emboldened by his reduced majority in last week’s election compared with his landslide victories in 1997 and 2001. Mr Blair will have a chance to test the mood of his colleagues and stamp his authority on Wednesday when he meets Labour lawmakers.
Despite winning a third term, Mr Blair has been forced to fend off calls from Labour dissenters still bitter over his decision to take Britain into the Iraq invasion and for steering the party away from its left-wing roots. Having said he will serve a full third term but not stand for re-election, he is now facing pressure to hand over even earlier to his ambitious finance minister, Gordon Brown.
Phil Willis, spokesman on education for the opposition Liberal Democrats, denounced Mr Adonis, who was recently elevated to the peerage, as a Blair ‘crony’ who ran education policy from the prime minister’s office.
One of Mr Blair’s closest advisers, Mr Adonis stirred controversy by supporting an increase in university tuition fees as well as specialist schools financed in part by private businesses.
“This is a man who has had no dialogue at all with the teaching profession, with parents, with other organizations, but has wielded unprecedented power, taking ideas direct from the United States and implanting them in the British education system,” Mr Willis told BBC radio.
However, Barry Sheerman, a Labour member of parliament who formerly chaired the Commons Education Committee, said it was permitted and necessary to have ministers from the House of Lords.
John Curtice, a political analyst at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, said Mr Adonis had stirred anger not only with his policies but also the way he has dealt with ministers. “His manner has sometime offended them. So you’ve got a mixture of not being one of ours, responsible for policies that a lot of people can’t stomach and also the personal chemistry doesn’t work,” he said.
Mr Curtice said traditional Labour members would see Mr Blair’s plans for reform as one that is “breaking up” the comprehensive school system, which they view as “one of the party’s major social achievements” since World War II.
Mr Blair also angered opponents with his appointment of Mr Drayson, who was named to the House of Lords last year.
Seen as an admirer of former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Mr Drayson donated 50,000 pounds to the Labour Party shortly before his biotechnology company won a government contract for smallpox vaccines.
Gerald Howarth, the defence spokesman for the Conservative party, said the appointment appeared to be a reward for donations. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell defended Mr Drayson as ‘a very distinguished industrialist’ when she spoke on British television.
“It is very easy to create these rather nasty smears — all his interests are declared, there is no impropriety, or even suggestion of impropriety,” Tessa Jowell said.
Under British election law, candidates must declare donations of above 5,000 pounds.
“I think he should be welcomed into the government and I think his talent will benefit the government and perhaps more important, the people of this country.” —AFP
