tony blair

If Only Glenn Reynolds Actually Read

So I start my morning peruse of the blogosphere and see this at Glenn Reynolds’ site:

BRITISH: “Special Relationship” with U.S. Is Dead.

UPDATE: Reader Paul Jackson writes:

Who could have foreseen that the president who follows Obama will have to hit the reset button…..with Great Britain and Israel!!! And the list may grow longer, he’s only been president for 14 months. India anyone?

Yeah, so far this “smart diplomacy” thing isn’t living up to the promises.

OBAMA DID IT! Surely that’s what the article points out – isn’t it?

In an apparent rebuke to Tony Blair and his relationship with President George W Bush, the report says there are “many lessons” to be learnt from Britain’s political approach towards the US over Iraq.

They are talking about the strain on U.S/British relationships caused by Bush. Get that Glenn? It’s the 7th paragraph down in that article.

And Then There Was One

One leader of a nation that devised a sinister plan to lie to their people and invade a nation that is:

Tony Blair said Thursday he would step down as prime minister on June 27, closing a decade of power in which he fostered peace in Northern Ireland and followed the United States to a war in Iraq that cost him much of his popularity.

In a somber farewell, Blair made way for Treasury chief Gordon Brown to take the top post. The British leader looked overcome with emotion, struggling to retain his trademark broad grin as loud cheers rang out.

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, it was right, Blair said, to "stand shoulder to shoulder with our oldest ally, and I did so out of belief."

"Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right," Blair told party workers and supporters at Trimdon Labour Club in his Sedgefield constituency in northern England. "I may have been wrong, but that's your call. But believe one thing if nothing else. I did what I thought was right for our country."

It will be interesting to see what Blair's successor decides to do with Iraq. If he takes office then pulls all U.K. troops from Iraq then we will most likely have to increase the "surge". This will put a real damper on the GOP September deadline.

Bush Looses His Poodle!

Oh to be in the U.K.:

Tony Blair has indicated that Gordon Brown is likely to replace him as Prime Minister within a matter of weeks.

"Within the next few weeks I won't be Prime Minister of this country. In all probability, a Scot will become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom," Mr Blair told party supporters at a Labour rally in Edinburgh.

His comments come on the day Mr Blair celebrates his 10th anniversary in office.

Earlier, Mr Blair marked the occasion by promising a "definitive" statement to the British people next week on when he plans to leave Number 10.

He won't be missed!

Friday Funnies

This is great. A picture of Tony Blair has emerged showing him doing an obscene gesture on camera in the 1970's while attending college.

Considering how much Bush likes to flip off the media, it is no wonder these two are so close.

Damn - China Beat Us!

That is what this is all about:

China faced a barrage of international condemnation from London to Canberra yesterday after it was revealed that it had launched a missile attack on an ageing weather satellite, a test that threatened to open a "Star Wars" space race.

Formal protests were lodged with the Beijing government, accompanied by expressions of concern from world leaders, including Tony Blair. The Bush administration is privately seething over the event and is believed to be preparing to turn the incident into a major diplomatic spat.

(emphasis mine)

Bush isn't mad because they can blow our satellites up. He is mad because they beat us. Is it shocking they did? Our country ranks low for education. Our brightest minds end up leaving to go to other countries, where they can work more freely. This whole "blowing satellites up" thing isn't new. This is Star Wars that Reagan was pushing for during his time in office. It has been talked about for at least 20 years. Now suck it up George - China beat us. Is it really a good time to piss them off more and possibly get Russia into the mix backing them? Democrats need to watch his actions on this also.

Blair's Party Speaking Out - Trouble in Paradise

It looks like Bush is starting to get a real lonely feeling in the international community. Members of Tony Blair's own party are now starting to blast our incompetent President:

A senior Labour backbencher has attacked the Bush administration, describing it as "incompetent" and guilty of "appalling complacency."

Former minister of state Nick Raynsford's criticism comes during a period in which transatlantic relations are under strain across a range of issues from the Middle East to climate change.

In an interview with ePolitix.com Raynsford, who was in the government until last year's reshuffle, expressed his satisfaction that the Democrats won last week's

"It's absolutely right that the American people have expressed their concern over the situation in Iraq and about the Bush administration and I'm delighted that Democrats now have control of both houses," he said.

"I think that will result in a shift of attitude and there are many areas of American policy should be changed."

On the environment he expressed his anger at the Republicans for failing to sign up to measures on reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Perhaps we can now mend our broken ties around the globe. Of course that has to be done at the expense of our President, a cost I am sure many won't complain about.

MSNBC Goes Neil Cavuto Style

Generally it is FOX's Neil Cavuto and his use of the right-wing propaganda style questions that make the news, but today MSNBC has followed suit. Their question today "Did Britain drop the ball in helping shape policy?". Of course they were talking about Iraq.

I guess MSNBC wants to leave their viewers believing that it was Blair who decided to dis-ban Saddam's army and create the vacuum that was filled with the insurgency. I guess it was also Tony Blair who decided to have the U.S. go in without enough forces.

You got to love how the media tries anything to take the blame away from Bush right before an election. Hell by next weekend we will start hearing how Blair wanted to go to war with Iraq and Bush got tricked into following his plan.

Splitting in the UK Over The Middle East

Jack Straw

Hi folks. This is my first post here. I'm from the UK so maybe some of this won't relate to you. This is something I posted on another blog site a couple of weeks ago.

"IN THE NEWS"

Former cabinet colleague and foreign secretary attacks Tony Blair's stance in Israel and the Middle East. Considering Blairs continuing decline in popularity, could this be the final Straw ? .... ooer...

Buckley Speaks

CBS' Thalia Assuras had an interview with William F. Buckley, the father of modern conservatism, last night and he had some sharp words about Bush:

Buckley finds himself parting ways with President Bush, whom he praises as a decisive leader but admonishes for having strayed from true conservative principles in his foreign policy.

In particular, Buckley views the three-and-a-half-year Iraq War as a failure.

"If you had a European prime minister who experienced what we've experienced it would be expected that he would retire or resign," Buckley says

That is rather harsh coming from a conservative like Buckley. It is also symbolic of what we are seeing in the U.K. this year, where Tony Blair is expected to be pushed out first of the year.

Buckley still sees failures with Iraq:

Asked if the Bush administration has been distracted by Iraq, Buckley says "I think it has been engulfed by Iraq, by which I mean no other subject interests anybody other than Iraq... The continued tumult in Iraq has overwhelmed what perspectives one might otherwise have entertained with respect to, well, other parts of the Middle East with respect to Iran in particular."

And Buckley definitely parts ways with the new brand of conservatives of what to do with Iran:

Despite evidence that Iran is supplying weapons and expertise to Hezbollah in the conflict with Israel, Buckley rejects neo-conservatives who favor a more interventionist foreign policy, including a pre-emptive air strike against Iran and its nuclear facilities.

"If we find there is a warhead there that is poised, the range of it is tested, then we have no alternative. But pending that, we have to ask ourselves, 'What would the Iranian population do?'"

Poodle Bows To Master

Bush's puppet does it again:

Prime Minister Tony Blair caved in to White House pressure by sharpening language on Iran and softening it on global warming in a speech he delivered Friday at Georgetown University, according to a British press report Sunday that Blair's office immediately denied.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, Blair made "significant" last-minute changes to his major foreign policy address and that "objections by President George W. Bush's inner circle played a key role in the alterations." An official at Blair's 10 Downing Street office, speaking on condition of anonymity as is standard practice here, said it was "categorically untrue that any White House objective played any part" in the speech.

Blair is frequently criticized in Britain for his close relationship with Bush, who is extremely unpopular among Britons. The prime minister is particularly faulted for his alliance with Bush in the Iraq war. Critics have complained that Blair seems too eager to please Bush in what many here view as a lopsided relationship that has benefited Bush far more than Britain.

Rumors are that Blair will be out by the end of the year. I am really starting to wonder if he will make it that far. Last month's elections were devastating for him and he lost a number of towns in the U.K. I just wish we could force a President out here so easily.

UK Political Reshuffle after disaster elections for Blair

So its the day after the shit hit the fan for Blair and his missfits.

Yesterday was the local elections in 176 of 388 regions and Labour lost 255 of the 1,768 seats it was defending while a resurgent opposition Conservative party under new leader David Cameron gained 250.

Talk is now afoot within the labour camp to oust Blair out of office during the summer. This has hit Blair hard and has caused a panic reshuffle of his cabinet as follows:

Charles Clark - Home Secretary.... SACKED for being so incompetant, is now replaced by John Reid

Jack Straw no longer Foriegn Secretary (thank god, he was useless and scared the life out of me when he was negotiating on our contries behalf) and is replaced by Margeret Beckett which is even more of a disaster, she was on Question Time last night and I have to say she is a dreadfull woman, she is going to do more harm than good in this position. Foriegn trade links will suffer because of this...this is the end of labour.

Jack Straw will become the leader of the House of Commons, which somewhat puts him out of the way.

John Prescott was spared the chop after his affairs and other mistake, he has however lost one of his departments, this is obviously the slap on the wrist from Blair.

Gordon Brown remains Chancellor and has said on national radio: "We have got to show in the next few days, not just the next few weeks, that we have sorted these problems out," Brown told BBC radio on Friday morning. "I will be talking to Tony Blair about these issues over the weekend." This sounds like someone who knows the end is near.

This is just patching up a wound and delaying the inevitable, Blair has to go. I dont think he should just step aside and let someone else like Brown become Prime Minister, Labour need to decide on a new leader then take it to the country and let us decide who should lead out country.

Tim

UK's Biggest Strike Action

The UK will be hit by strike action by some 1.5 million people on March 26th. The action will take place by Council / Local Authority Staff. This is the biggest strike in the UK since 1926. The strike could have another twist is teachers also decide to join in with the planned action.

It is over Pension Plans and that there is a major shortfall in the governments funds to pay people their pensions. The government has been trying to get people to work until they are much older which in turn would postpone the pension payments.

The 2nd Vote

Tony Blair has one the 2nd vote on the prgramme motion by 10 votes.

Even though he has won the vote his days are numbered as leader. He has indicated for a while that he will step down before the end of his term, the votes tonight will make this sooner rather than later.

1 in 5 members of the government have voted against, that means some serious questions have to be asked!

Blairs busy night

Tony Blair has won the vote for the second reading of the new Education Bill, 51 of his own MP's voted against it which is not good, therefore it was only with the help of the opposition that it was passed.

We now await the vote on the progrmme motion which everyone is saying will not pass, this will be a major shot in the shot for Blair.

Is this the beginning of the end for Blair?

At around 7pm (GMT) today there will be a vote on a new education bill in the House of Commons which could decide how much longer Tony Blair stays in power.

The bill itself is fairly important to the future of education over here but I won't go into details as it does not effect most of the readers on this blog.

However, it looks like many members of Blairs political party will vote against the bill but the opposition (Conservetives) will be voting for the bill so it will get passed through for the next stage. With one of Blairs bills being passed due to the opposition, this will cause major damage to Blairs authority and popularity. Many backbench MP's are already wanting him to step down.

I'll keep posting as the news breaks, so for those who want to know, keep checking back!