LONDON (CBC) - In an effort to win a third consecutive term, British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday called a general election for May 5.
Read the rest here. Also here.
I'm surprised it took him so long. His numbers have been nosediving since he and George W Bush went to war with Iraq.
If I were a Briton, I would just hold my nose and vote Labour. Tory leader Michael Howard seems to be just another right wing nut. The Liberal Democrats under Charles Kennedy are not ready for prime time.
Blair used to be a dynamic leader. Full of energy and ideas. He was the UK's answer to Bill Clinton: a progressive thinker unshackled to traditional left/right orthodoxies. He was a Third Way leader. No one could pin him down.
Then came the lead up to the war in Iraq, and all of a sudden, Tony Blair became Captain America.
Now Labour's base is polarized. Many haven't forgiven Blair for going to war. But they can't see Howard as Prime Minister.
I think Blair will win, but maybe only a minority. This election may be his last.
No comments:
Post a Comment