Blair: What is he, and to whom?

[nemafakei]

Most of Britain rather dislikes Blair, but sees no better political party as an alternative. The main problem is that he his government is to spin what Major's ministers were to sleaze. Plus, he's not doing anything much to reform the public services here, despite his pledges - just spending more on the NHS, and pushing for politically displayable targets (which are met at the cost of common sense and quality of service).

However, it seems the US likes him more than their own president! What is this lunacy? From the BBC: The Republicans like him because of his support for the war on Iraq and Afghanistan before it, the Democrats because he tempered Bush's stance on war, and is a Labour PM (and was good friends with Clinton).

Now note well: He is the leader of the Labour party, Britian's left-wing party, yet his policies are distinctly center-right. Labour received approximately 10M votes last election (Britain has ~60M people).

He is not a bad orator (certainly compared with other world leaders), but in parliamentary turnout, he is significantly wanting. Iain Duncan-Smith (Tory leader) regularly trounces him in PM's Question Time - but this has little to no effect on the standing of either.

I propose we export him to the US; I wonder what they'll offer for him?

[ordos45]

Just send him anyhow, once he reaches the years living here requirement we'll vote him into the Senate. I do like Blair more than Bush, at least Blair can deliver a proper political speech without screwing up important lines.

"We will restore chaos to the country"-Bush in a speech on Iraq.

See, Blair has yet to make a mistake that big.

[GhostHunter]

Nothing...The U.S only likes him because the tides have turned and now Britain is America's puppet, we just like a visual confirmation of this fact.

[nemafakei]

"once he reaches the years living here requirement"

Do all these visits to Bush's house count?

"Britain is America's puppet"

With Blair, this is most definitely true.

My goodness, I'm just listening to his speech on the news! Talk about buttering up! I think he wants to move to the US once his party kicks him out for being a Tory...

He's damned right he doesn't get that sort of welcome at home - for we se a rather different side to him...

[ordos45]

"once he reaches the years living here requirement"

Do all these visits to Bush's house count?

If they do he'd be what, started a good deal at least.

[Caid Ivik]

Blair is a socialistic demagogue. When I hear him, it is similar like our slovak "third-wayist" Fico. He knows how to persuade people, but sometimes he does only blind demonstrations of power, like going to war against Iraq. Such quickly support I wouldn't await from him, when his country isn't certain about it. It turned to demagogic show of british power. I know why USA attacked, but why Britain?

[nemafakei]

My goodness!

Dr David Kelly, a member of Britain's intelligence services, has been missing since Thursday. A body "fitting his description" has been found by police searching for him in Oxfordshire.

He has recently been known about because the Government has claimed that he is the source of Andrew Gillingham's BBC report, saying that the Iraq dossier had been "sexed up" by Alistair Campbell (Blair's Spin doctor, already with a significant bad record). He declared under a Gov't appointed panel of MPs that he was not such a source. The BBC's policy is not to comment on sources, and it has kept to that.

This is most sinister!

Edit: I've found some pertinent links:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3076801.stm - The main story.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3077059.stm - Timeline for bakcground

[Inoculator9]

Americans like him because he's the only European leader who likes us :P Next to none of the other European countries support us, so... as the allies of America dwindled in the fire of a French perfume shop, England's indommitable PM Blair sounded the rallying cry with himself at the forefront and the rear. Thus, we like him. I would also like to make sure that I am in no way part of the "we". I consider myself Martian when it comes to these ridiculous politics :P

[Dunenewt]

Bring in Iain Duncan Smith!

He is still pro-american and knows what to do in foreign affairs but he will get the stuff in UK right aswell which TB hasn't done

[nemafakei]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3079787.stm

It appears Dr Kelly has slit his wrists.

The Select committee who interviewed him were incredibly rude, notably one of the Labour MPs who called him "chaff", and "the fall guy". He was an expert on WMDs:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3076869.stm

A thouroughly worrying affair...