Tony Blair must be getting nervous. The opinion polls against him, junior ministers resigning, the UN as indecisive as ever and the big game about to start.
President Bush talks of regime change, well if there’s no second resolution from the UN and the war takes longer than a week or two that’ll start in London before Baghdad, especially if the casualties mount.
Margaret Thatcher got knifed in the back by her own party when she was prime minister and if Saddam doesn’t get ousted real quick some of the Labour politicans with high ambitions will see this as their best chance to get Blair out of the way.
Blair’s had six years in charge and all the spin doctoring has worn thin, he needs a big result in the next few weeks or he could find himself with plenty of time to write his memoirs.
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Thanks for this type of commentary Chris. It is interesting and I definately do not read enough world news to hear about this…I guess I should, but it is ust easier to goto LondonBlog and here it from a mate.
thanks
Who’s Blair kidding? I saw him on CNN from the DAC locker room in Eugene Oregon a few months ago and he looked like a quivering leaf. I was very surprised at his obvious lack of confidence. He was talking about the possible conflict and spelling out why he supports military action, his body language told all he was lying. If the present government was Conservative and supported a war Blair would be the loudest crier demanding a change of government and pointing to public / world opinion.
He has taken a gamble that siding with the US will score him points after the fact, but counting on GW’s government to consider Blair’s point of view is not smart. Just today the US has brushed aside Blair’s latest attempt at a negotiated settlement, almost a slap in the face ( I’m not saying I think Saddam Hussein is someone I’d want to waste time negotiating with either, but diplomatically it places Blair in no man’s land…his own country dislikes his actions and his boss ( GW ) thinks his opinion is worthless.)
The time has come for Tony unless victory is quick and the new Iraqi government can organise itself and news footage of cheering Iraqi’s appear on the 6 o’clock news.
You’re dead right about his body language, he’s done a couple of tv appearances lately in front of studio audiences to try to get his message across but just looks like the proverbial rabbit in the headlights when confronted with an angry questioner.
At least with Bush he seems to have complete confidence with what he’s saying.
Bush is used to telling people a load of baloney and on this occassion has the advantage that his desires will be carried out, he can accurately say what will happen, there will be war soon.
Blair on the other hand has made a deal with the Yanks that seems to cut him some respect, but really he’s got his ass hanging in the wind and when it doesn’t suit America to have him at the table anymore he’ll be crawling back to his cabinet (’sorry everyone I ignored, I guess my new friend across the Atalntic really didn’t care less’).
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