| Blair’s third-term begins in a frenzied state |
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Tony Blair created history for the Labour party by winning a third successive election term but with a drastically reduced majority, it seems as if he has simply wobbled his way up there. The public rebuke that Blair has received in the form of a lesser majority has also sparked quite a few doubts about the completion of his entire term and Brown taking over.
As Blair shuffled some ministerial posts at the junior level, numerous allies of Blair were promoted together with those affiliated to the Chancellor, Gordon Brown who is being looked at as the most likely successor if Blair fails to complete a full term.
For instance, Andrew Adonis, one of Blair’s key policy adviser was selected as the junior education minister in the House of Lords. Similarly, Lord Drayson, the pharmaceuticals tycoon and one of the most popular contributors in Labour, was appointed the junior defence minister. Brown’s associates too occupied ministerial seats, like the wife of the chancellor's former special adviser Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper, was chosen as the housing and planning minister, whereas Nigel Griffiths was appointed the deputy leader of the House of Commons.
In addition, a few familiar people like the immigration minister, Beverley Hughes, made a reappearance after an exit last year following a visa scandal. He was selected as the children's minister. Similarly, Lord Hunt, the erstwhile junior health minister who quit over his dissent to the Iraq war joined the government again as a junior minister but in the work and pensions department.
Blair will make his parliamentary speech on Wednesday when the parliament is reconvened for the first time. He will divulge his plans for the new term as the Prime Minister in his speech and debate about his possibilities of completing an entire third term. However, a Labour MP stated that Blair would have to face serious opposition if he did not relent and step down by September when the annual conference of the Labour Party is scheduled.
Legislator, John Austin almost warned Blair that he would stand against him as a "stalking horse" contender to oust him from power. Austin added, "He has said he won't lead the party into a fourth election. I think, I and many colleagues think, it would be better if he went sooner rather than later, to allow his successor to establish himself."
There were a few other lawmakers too who felt that Blair should quit as soon as possible considering that Brown had grown to be much more popular than Blair was.
Posted
on : Tue, 10 May 2005 18:05 GMT | General News
By : Salim Patel
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