Print

Mail

wiki links

Blair's evasiveness sparks Labour strife

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's governing Labour Party was caught up in a bitter round of infighting yesterday over his refusal to say when he will quit the hot seat.

Blair was facing growing unrest as his supporters traded potshots with his opponents, whose growing band of Labour members of parliament say Blair's silence is leaving the party rudderless, with the renewed main opposition Conservatives streaking ahead in the opinion polls.

Blair has vowed to step down and give his successor ample time to bed in before the next general election, due in May 2010 at the very latest, with Chancellor of the Excchequer Gordon Brown his publicly preferred replacement.

Labour factions are building up steam ahead of the party's annual conference later this month, seemingly set to be a showdown with Blair's remaining time in office dominating the agenda.

Disgruntled senior ex-ministers are understood to be heading a group of Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) which has approached Brown's allies offering to write an open letter, backed by some 80-odd signatures, calling on Blair to quit -- with more than 72 being enough to trigger a leadership contest.

However, Brown is believed to have decided against allowing his supporters to back any such letter.

Former home secretary David Blunkett -- a top Blair ally -- appealed for calm, warning that an escalating Labour civil war could gift further ground to the opposition parties.

"My appeal is not to allow them to highlight policy and our party conference to be hijacked by issues of the timing of Tony Blair's departure," he told Sunday Telegraph. "I have every faith that my party will look over the brink and pull back."

Former transport minister Stephen Byers, a Blair "outrider," fired an apparent "put up or shut up" warning shot at Brown, challenging him to outline his vision for leadership if he thought he deserved the crown any time soon.

He told the Sunday Telegraph: "The prime minister has said that he does not intend to go on and on ... This provides both a challenge and an opportunity for all those who wish to take on positions of leadership within the party."

Meanwhile, government ministers are hurling themselves into filming video diaries of them doing everyday jobs to show they are "in touch" with ordinary workers, the Sunday Times reported.

Clean-cut Environment Minister David Miliband will get his hands dirty at a recycling plant, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain will do a hands-on job in a steering wheel factory and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell will attempt to help underprivileged children.

The weekly newspaper said it was the brainwave idea of Labour Party Chairwoman Hazel Blears, to provide some light relief at the annual conference.
This story has been viewed 1659 times.