International   

A blunder, says Reid

Tania Branigan

MANCHESTER: BritishPrime Minster Tony Blair was ``stupid'' to announce his departure in advance, and may have jeopardised Labour's electoral future, Home Secretary John Reid said on Monday.

His remarks came as a BBC Newsnight focus group found him the clear favourite of six potential candidates. Seventeen of 30 voters said they would like to see him as the next leader.

``Far from helping Labour win a victory, Tony Blair's loss will be a disadvantage,'' Mr. Reid said. ``I think he was stupid to himself and to our prospects by saying he was going to go .''

-
Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Abe for cordial ties with China
India lauds Rajapaksa Government's resolve to build consensus on ethnic issue
Russian nuclear fuel for Iran
Blair finds it "hard to let go''
Saddam trial adjourned
Lack of funds impeding Iraq war, army tells Bush
U.N. gets offers of troops for Darfur
Probe into 10,000 graft claims
A blunder, says Reid
Thai man dies of bird flu
Australia mulling civilian nuclear deal with India
Kasuri asks India to respond positively
Senate likely to take up nuclear deal in November
Indian American develops sensor to detect E. coli
`Kanishka' case enquiry begins

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu