Page 1 of Labour have annoyed me again...

Taken off AOL News:
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Blair Won`t Overstay Welcome - Mandelson

TONY Blair may not serve out a full third term as Prime Minister if he wins the next General Election, one of his closest allies claims.

Former Cabinet minister Peter Mandelson said Mr Blair would not go "on and on and on and on`` beyond the point where he was no longer wanted.

"I must say I am less concerned about who is prime minister at the end of a third term - as long as it is a Labour prime minister - than what that Government is doing during its time in office,`` he said.

"No Prime Minister goes on and on and on and on. Mrs Thatcher said she was going to do so and then found that other people had different ideas.

"I think that for him - he has said this himself before - he is not going to overstay his welcome.

"He is not going to get to the point that, whatever good he is doing for the country, people sort of feel restless and want a change. I don`t think he is going to reach that point.``

Mr Blair`s Government became Labour`s longest serving administration this weekend.

Clement Attlee previously held the party`s record, serving as prime minister for six years and 92 days. Mr Blair passed the milestone while on holiday in the Caribbean.

But the suicide of government scientist Dr David Kelly and the row over the war on Iraq that drove him to his death has cast a long shadow over the event, which is not being officially marked by Labour.

And the occasion has prompted comparisons, many unfavourable, with the 1945-51 government which created the welfare state.

Mr Blair was on the defensive when he referred to the occasion at his monthly televised media briefing before leaving on his break last week.

He recited a familiar litany of Labour achievements since 1997 and insisted: "The overall record is one that bears comparison with any government, Labour or Conservative, in the past."

The claim is a heresy for much of the Labour left which revers the Attlee government. But Mr Blair insists his Government is achieving its objectives.
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The thing that annoys me, is that if Blair is to get in again (which I think is doubtful), changing the PM halfway through Labour`s third term is insane. In the General Election, people vote not only for the party, but also with the thought of their current leader, so if Labour are going to change their frontman, announce it before the election...

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Rik Booth
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Well, didn`t the Tories do the same thing with Mrs Thatcher (admittedly she was pushed) and they wound up with whatsisname? ;)

J Mark Oates

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Reviewer, Columnist and All Round Good Egg
DVD.Reviewer.co.uk

The suicide of government scientist Dr David Kelly and the row over the war on Iraq that drove him to his death.

Says who? Inqury still going on is it not.


Oscar Wallace.

Frankly I doubt if Tony Blair will still be leading Labour before the next election. He`s fast becoming a liability to the party as it`s his popularity or lack of the same that`s dragging them down. As New Labour seem to have learned all kinds of bad habits from the Tories, maybe they`ll ditch him in favour of somebody new. Or better still somebody who`s not afraid to smack the opposition in the gob when the need arises. ;)

J Mark Oates

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Reviewer, Columnist and All Round Good Egg
DVD.Reviewer.co.uk

Of course, we all know that Teflon Tony and Alistair Machiavelli Campbell will come out of the `inquiry` smelling of roses. :(

This item was edited on Monday, 4th August 2003, 00:42

He might be out by the end of the week if he doesn`t sack his press spokesman and with any luck chief spin doctor Campbell.

For number 10 to public slander Dr Kelly after his death is utterly unacceptable behaviour.

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Chris Cox

Region 1 News Editor, Columnist and Site Reviewer
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http://www.cbcox.org.uk - Orange SPV, Photography and SNES

My isp are doing a `do you trust Tony` poll, and the current results are 84% NO, and 3 % don`t care. Only 14% said yes!