Getting Rid

On Wednesday, I wrote that signs were starting to appear which would suggest that Blair is losing his grip on power.

What interests me is that there were difficulties in finding an agreement acceptable to the Cabinet concerning the English ban [on smoking]. When did you last hear of policy announcements being delayed for this reason? As far as I remember, you'd probably have to go back to the Major years to find the last time it happened.

Well, it looks like the Observer might agree.

Whatever mystique the government retained was certainly punctured last week, as disputes over a ban on smoking in pubs and 'parent power' reforms to education spilled into the open. While they have occasionally quarrelled in private, the difference is ministers are now squabbling publicly.

The Observer goes into some detail concerning the Blair is having with his education reforms. I'd recommend reading the whole article if you're at all interested in these machinations. The Observer says:

Comparisons with John Major's bickering Cabinet are being made.

Hey, do you think the Observer staff often take their lead from my blog? I demand that I be properly credited (and given money)!*

The good news is that there's more. This time it's Blunkett who's causing Blair problems. Now there's a man I'm glad I don't have as a friend. Significantly, it looks like even those who have every reason to be loyal to our great leader are prepared to say no to him now. I do officially declare that lame duck syndrome has arrived in earnest. Yay and stuff. The fact that this is being motivated by self-interest rather than principle is a sad reflection on Labour MPs but at this stage anything which loosens Blair's grip on power has to be welcomed. He can't promise to further careers in the way that he once could and he's going to find it increasing difficult to keep control without his favourite method of persuasion. Get rid.

Oh, and Blunkett. What else can you say about the man? He's not content with having "been found guilty of the offence" of intervening to speed up a visa application on behalf of his mistress.** Now, I'd say that this alone means it's astonishing and just wrong to have him back in government again, but our David can't leave it at that. Instead, he seems intent on rubbing our noses in it. I remember when I used to dispair of the blatant revolving door corruption of the US govenment (both Parties are guilty of this I'm afraid). These days though, I don't need to look accross the water for my daily dose of dispair. Get rid.

* Just to clarify, this is an attempt at humour. I was going to say that I doubt if anyone at the Observer had even heard of this blog but if I think about it, Rafael, from the now sadly retired Observer Blog, might have visited once or twice. Anyway, I am 100% not serious about this.

** John Prescott, 22/12/04