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`Lame duck' Blair has `day from hell'

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, right, returns to Downing Street from parliament in London on Wednesday. British Cabinet minister David Blunkett, who overcame blindness and humble beginnings to reach high office, was forced to resign on Wednesday for the second time in less than a year, a major embarrassment for Blair. PHOTO: AP

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was under pressure to reassert his authority yesterday after he suffered one of the worst days in his eight years in office.

Nearly six months after comfortably winning a third successive election, Blair faced a barrage of front pages saying his authority had slumped during his "day from hell."

In a double blow on Wednesday, Blair endured a revolt in parliament over his proposed anti-terrorism plans and saw his key ally David Blunkett resign from government.

UK Home Secretary Charles Clarke on Wednesday night caved in to huge opposition to his plans to hold terrorist suspects without charge for 90 days by promising all-party talks next week on a substantially reduced period of detention.

The offer came as the anti-terror legislation threatened to founder in its committee stage, with ministers seeing their majority cut to one in a vote on another clause -- the government's closest shave since Blair first formed a government in 1997.

Opposition members of parliament (MPs) and many Labour backbenchers were predicting that parts of the bill were "untenable" and "in tatters" as the House of Commons sent a signal to the House of Lords that two contentious measures -- creating a wide ranging offence of encouraging or glorifying terrorism and holding people without charge for 90 days -- were unacceptable to many rebels.

The Opposition Conservative home affairs spokesman David Davis and his Liberal Democrat counterpart Mark Oaten told the UK Channel 4 TV News that any period longer than 28 days would be "a non-starter."

"All prime ministers run out of credit in the end," the usually pro-Labour Guardian said in an editorial. "This one is in trouble."

Blair is "facing his own battle for political survival", the tabloid Daily Mail said on its front page, while the Times said he was "struggling to retain his political authority."

The Independent offered some rare support, saying Blair, once nicknamed "Teflon Tony" because no dirt ever stuck, remained in control.

Political commentator Andrew Rawnsley said the prime minister must move quickly to "stamp his authority now pretty hard on this government."

Blair's close ally and friend, Work and Pensions Secretary David Blunkett, resigned for the second time in less than a year over accusations he violated a ministerial code of conduct.

Hours later, Blair was forced to back down on his proposed terrorism laws to avoid a first major defeat in parliament during eight years in power.

In one vote on the terrorist bill on Wednesday, Blair's majority was cut to one -- its lowest ever and perilously close to his first defeat in the elected chamber.

More than 30 Labour members of parliament rebelled against Blair over proposals to create a new offence of indirect incitement or glorification of terrorism.

Opposition parties attempted to brand Blair a "lame duck" leader who will struggle to wield power as his time in office nears an end. Blair said last year that he would not seek a fourth term.

"We have seen the slow seepage of his authority turn into a hemorrhage," Michael Howard, leader of the opposition Conservatives, told a packed parliament after Blunkett quit.
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