Blair calls it quits...

[5E6A]

<!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,17129-2347236,00.html">www.timesonline.co.uk/art...36,00.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Now what to make of that? Now who will the [r]esident have to back him up in a coalition of the unwilling to bring demockracy to Iran? <p></p><i></i>

[chiggerbit]

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em><br>"I’m not going to set a precise date now, I don’t think that’s right. I will do that at a future date and I’ll do it in the interests of the country and depending on the circumstances of the time.<<br><br>"That doesn’t in any way take away from the fact it’s my last conference. But I think the precise timetable has to be left up to me and to be done in the proper way. <br><br>"I think it’s important for the Labour Party to understand, and I think the majority of people in the party do understand, that it’s the public that comes first and it’s the country that matters and we can’t treat the public as irrelevant bystanders in a subject as important as who is their prime minister.</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><br>Sounds like Lieberman. <p></p><i></i>

[bvonahsen]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>"I’m not going to set a precise date now, I don’t think that’s right. I will do that at a future date and I’ll do it in the interests of the country and depending on the circumstances of the time"<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Now that is a funny way to say goodbye. I thought they had a system and that a vote of no confidence led to a new round of elections. But then we in the US had a system too. Oh well... <p></p><i></i>

[Seamus OBlimey]

Heard it on the radio this morning.. sadly it's another of Rupert's premature ejaculations. Gotta feel sorry for him? <p></p><i></i>

[Seamus OBlimey]

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[antiaristo]

I hate to rain on the parade.<br>Don't read what you want to see: read what he said.<br>Blair is a lawyer by training, and a very slippery lawyer by nature.<br><br>What he said was about the PARTY LEADER.<br>He said nothing about standing down as prime minster.<br>So long as he has the support of the Queen he remains prime minister.<br>(Take a look at that Privy Counselor Oath I posted)<br><br>THAT is the constitutional position.<br><br>There have been prime ministers in the past who were not even members of the House of Commons.<br>Jefrey Archer aspired to the premiership from the House of Lords.<br><br>What then?<br>The impeachment option has been removed by the Queen and her lackey Gorbals Mick. Impeachment is "obsolete".<br>The only option available to Parliament is the no-confidence vote.<br>But that is no confidence in THE GOVERNMENT.<br><br>The whole government falls, and elections follow.<br><br>This is the only honest commentary I've seen is this one<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoons/stevebell/0,,1866570,00.html">www.guardian.co.uk/cartoo...70,00.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>On reflection, it's worth restating.<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="font-size:small;">The Oath of a Privy Counsellor</span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><br><br><br>You do swear by Almighty God to be a true and faithful Servant unto The Queen’s Majesty as one of Her Majesty’s Privy Council. You will not know or understand of any manner of thing to be attempted, done or spoken against Her Majesty’s Person, Honour, Crown or Dignity Royal, but you will lett and withstand the same to the uttermost of your power, and either cause it to be revealed to Her Majesty Herself, or to such of Her Privy Council as shall advertise Her Majesty of the same. You will in all things to be moved, treated and debated in Council, faithfully and truly declare your Mind and Opinion, according to your Heart and Conscience; and will keep secret all matters committed and revealed unto you, or that shall be treated of secretly in Council. And if any of the said Treaties or Counsels shall touch any of the Counsellors you will not reveal it unto him but will keep the same until such time as, by the consent of Her Majesty or of the Council, Publication shall be made thereof. You will to your uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance to the Queen’s Majesty; and will assist and defend all civil and temporal Jurisdictions, Pre-eminences, and Authorities, granted to Her Majesty and annexed to the Crown by Acts of Parliament, or otherwise, against all Foreign Princes, Persons, Prelates, States, or Potentates. And generally in all things you will do as a faithful and true Servant ought to do to Her Majesty<br><br>SO HELP YOU GOD<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p></p><i></i>

[alice]

The prime minister is not chosen/elected by the country but is the leader of the party that wins the election.<br> <br>When Blair goes there will an internal election by the labour party for a new leader and therefore a new prime-minister. <br>The concerns and agitating against Blair are to do with internal jitters about the unpopularity of the "war against terror/iraq/afghanistan" and what that means for individual mp's and their careers and not sadly because Brown is any less of a poodle . Blair going will not mean there will be any great changes . It's just internal career stuff. <p></p><i></i>

[madeupname452]

Blair Leaves Himself the Aznar Option<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://5thnovember.blogspot.com/2006/09/blair-leaves-himself-aznar-option.html">5thnovember.blogspot.com/...ption.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br>Look closely at the form of words Blair used:<br><br> "I think what is important now is that we understand that it's the interests of the country that come first and we move on. I would have preferred to do this in my own way... The next party conference in a couple of weeks will be my last party conference as party leader, the next TUC conference next week will be my last TUC - probably to the relief of both of us.<br><br> "But I am not going to set a precise date now. I don't think that's right. I will do that at a future date and I'll do it in the interests of the country and depending on the circumstances of the time."<br><br>A commitment to do what exactly? This word formula commits him only to standing down as leader of the party. Nothing about standing down as PM.<br><br>Blair can argue that he gave a commitment to the people at the general election to serve a "full term" and the voters gave him that mandate. He can also argue that he gave a promise to give the next leader of the Labour party "time to bed in". If he stood down as Labour leader but not as PM he could keep both promises. It would also let him keep his grip on power as he tries finally to get radical Blairite policies and reforms implemented.<br><br>José María Aznar lost the support of the people who had voted for the Partido Popular in 2000 and had to pledge not to run again. In January 2004 Aznar called new elections and designated his candidate, Mariano Rajoy, sticking to his pledge of not seeking office for a third term. Despite political tensions, polls suggested that the Partido Popular was set to win a third consecutive election. It almost worked except the backlash from the Madrid bombings derailed the plan.<br><br>The Aznar option in Britain would see Blair designating Brown as his successor with the hope that Blair could have as his legacy a fourth Labour term. It would make him an historic hero for Labour and they might even forgive him for Iraq...<!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.bloggerheads.com/images/blair_dubya.gif" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=madeupname452>madeupname452</A> at: 9/8/06 9:07 am<br></i>