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End of the road for Blair?

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: Political circles in Britain were on Wednesday rife with speculation that Tony Blair's prime ministership could be drawing to a close after seven junior members of his Government quit amid a growing revolt against his leadership.

Among those who resigned was Tom Watson, a Defence Minister, and six parliamentary aides — Khalid Mahmood, Wayne David, Ian Lucas, Mark Tami, Chris Mole and David Wright. Many were regarded as Blair "loyalists'' and their decision to join the rebellion was seen as a sign that Mr Blair was losing the leadership struggle against his arch rival, Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the exchequer.

In a joint statement, four of the resigning parliamentary aides said Mr Blair's refusal to set out a date for his departure was damaging the Government and the party.

Detractor denounced

In his letter of resignation, Mr Watson said: "It is with the greatest sadness that I have to say that I no longer believe that your remaining in office is in the interest of either the party or the country.''

Mr Blair, who has doggedly refused to name a date for his departure for fear of being reduced to a "lame duck'' Prime Minister, denounced Mr Watson as "disloyal, discourteous and wrong'', he said he was going to sack him anyway after he had signed the letter from rebel Labour MPs.

"I had been intending to dismiss him but wanted to extend to him the courtesy of speaking to him first. Had he come to me privately and expressed his view about the leadership, that would have been one thing. But to sign a round robin letter which was then leaked to the press was disloyal, discourteous and wrong. It would, therefore, have been impossible for him to remain in Government," he said.

Senior Blair-ite party leaders also condemned the rebels saying the resignations had been "orchestrated'' to undermine the Prime Minister.

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