One former minister said:

"There is now every prospect that Tony Blair will address the Labour Party conference in just seven weeks' time against a backdrop of continuing fighting and expect a rousing endorsement of his premiership. That will be a farce, a damaging farce, which this party will pay for in falling support and disappearing respect. "

The cabinet members understood to have been targeted are Jack Straw, the Leader of the Commons and former Foreign Secretary, plus David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, and Hilary Benn, the International Development Secretary.

All criticised the government line last week by stating that, without calling Israel's attacks "disproportionate", it would make the future stability in the Middle East harder to achieve.

South Shields MP David Miliband is currently on holiday in Ireland researching their experience of the "plasic bag tax", and with his record of having NEVER voted against the government in a division, it is highly unlikely that he will heed this call. Gordon Brown, the Chancellor is remaining tight lipped once again - but he would considering he will be the benefactor of any such moves to bring an early end to Blair's premiership. But the episode does show how much dissent there is within the Labour Party and the extent to which some MPs are willing to press the case for a change in leadership.

I guess it's no surprise that Blair is unwilling, just yet, to join his family in Barbados, we all remember what happened to Mrs. Thatcher when she took a holiday!

Link

The Sunday Herald

# posted by Curly : 7:14 pm