LONDON, May 17: Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled an ambitious agenda on Tuesday for a third term packed with potential pitfalls after British voters slashed his majority this month. The programme — featuring contentious policies ranging from identity cards to new immigration controls — could mark his final chance to secure a lasting legacy before stepping down.
But his fate lies in the hands of Labour party rebels. Defeat on key bills could fatally undermine the power of a leader who risks becoming a lame duck after he said he would not stand at the next election.
Eager to show he has not run out of ideas, Blair’s agenda — presented by Queen Elizabeth at a ceremony in parliament’s opulent House of Lords — contains 45 bills and five draft bills for a long, 18-month session.
“The Queen’s Speech show this government’s renewed energy, purpose and ambition to build on the achievements so far, to move faster and further in the direction our country wants,” Blair told parliament. “It’s what the country voted for”.
Blair has said he wants to serve a full term of four to five years but many analysts say he could be gone by the end of 2006. His ability to pass laws with a majority cut to 67 from 161 will define his final years as leader of the centre-left Labour government.
Plans to introduce compulsory identity cards, aimed at stopping abuses of free public services and fighting terrorism, could be blocked by Labour left-wingers if enough of them join forces with opposition parties.
“With Tony Blair pressing ahead with controversial, expensive and ineffective policies like ID cards, there is a clear opportunity for them to be defeated,” said Matthew Taylor, chairman of the third-placed Liberal Democrats. ID cards sparked a Labour revolt in the last parliament and bills on education and anti-terrorism only scraped through.
A hard core of 30-40 rebels, many of whom blame Blair and the Iraq war for Labour’s looser grip on parliament, are spoiling for a fight and want to force a swift handover to finance minister and heir apparent Gordon Brown. The government hopes a slim majority will tame rebels and says there will be no major changes “in substance” on its plan for compulsory ID cards although it may tinker with details.
The government is also determined to push through a bill outlawing incitement to religious hatred that is facing stiff opposition on the grounds it infringes civil liberties. Another controversial bill would overhaul incapacity welfare benefit to get many claimants back into work. —Reuters
