LONDON, May 9: British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday rejected calls to resign as he reshuffled the ministerial pack after last week’s election sharply weakened his Labour government. Mr Blair won an unprecedented straight third term for the centre-left Labour party last week, but voters whose trust in him was damaged by the Iraq issue more than halved his majority.
Britain’s political debate was dominated by one question: when will he quit?
“The whole story of the government is going to be ‘when is he going,’” said Labour parliamentarian Clare Short, a frequent thorn in Mr Blair’s side who resigned from the Cabinet over Iraq.
“There’s a real danger the government looks divided, doesn’t renew itself, we lose seats in local government elections and so on, and get weaker and weaker,” she told BBC radio.
Mr Blair announced last year he would serve a full third term of four to five years but then would not stand again — a move that risks turning him into a lame duck, analysts say. His parliamentary majority fell at Thursday’s vote to 67 from 161.
Forecasts for his departure range from months to two years. Finance minister Gordon Brown is Labour’s heir apparent.
As Mr Blair prepared to announce appointments of junior ministers to complete a reshuffle of his government, newspapers were full of speculation. The Sun tabloid even published a cut-out “fun resignation sweepstake.”
A poll in the right-leaning Daily Telegraph indicated 46 percent of voters wanted Mr Blair out by this time next year.
HURDLES AHEAD: Some critics want Mr Blair to go by September, when Labour holds its annual conference. Labour parliamentarian John Austin said he would stand for the leadership at the conference with the aim of paving the way for a more serious contender.
Others say Mr Blair should quit around the 2006 September conference, allowing him to bow out gracefully after Britain completes its presidency of the Group of Eight rich nations and the European Union this year.
But Mr Blair shows no sign of wanting to give up: “I have not just gone through four weeks of Hell to bugger off in a few months’ time,” he was quoted by media as telling confidants.
Many political pundits see Britain’s referendum on the EU constitution, planned for 2006, as the moment of truth.
Presuming France approves the treaty on May 29 and Britain’s vote goes ahead, Mr Blair will face a battle to convince sceptical Britons to back the project. Defeat could force him out.
But Blair loyalists expressed dismay that a man who has seen off four leaders of the main opposition Conservative party since 1997 should be hounded out of office.
Conservative leader Michael Howard, who is resigning after losing the election, welcomed 54 new members of parliament on Monday just as party heavyweights began bickering over the future leadership.
“I am absolutely convinced that this splendid new intake, brimming with talent, is going to set the scene for the next Conservative victory,” said Howard.
Mr Blair could face a rough ride when he addresses new and old Labour members of parliament on Wednesday before presenting his new legislative slate to parliament on May 17.
An existing hard core of 30 to 40 rebels threaten to defeat Blair on key votes, particularly over moves to give the private sector greater influence over public services, plans to bring in compulsory identity cards and new anti-terrorism laws. —Reuters
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