You are in:
- Archives » 2006 » July 2006
Blair To Go "Shortly"
Britain's deputy prime minister John Prescott has stepped up speculation on the nation's biggest political question: When will Tony Blair resign?
Speaking on a television interview on Sunday, Prescott hinted that the PM's retirement "could come very shortly."
Prescott claimed that a discussions to set a timetable on Blair's retirement were already ongoing, to ensure a "smooth transition" between the PM's reign and that of his expected successor, Gordon Brown.
But what could Prescott mean by "very shortly?" Blair goes on holiday next month, and parliament has broken up for the summer: Could the PM be planning a surprise retirement in September, giving Brown the platform for the Labour Party conference this autumn, traditionally a time to outline policy ideas for the following years? Many punters thought this unlikely, betting instead that Blair would go in the Spring or October next year.
The Telegraph hints that Prescott might have been "bigging up" his own role in the government. Prescott has come under fire recently for his bedroom exploits and his closeness to a certain American billionaire. As New Labour faces a devastating sleaze scandal, surely Blair must have pondered whether to make his deputy a high-profile sacrifice. So by revealing he is privy to secret negotiations, Prescott plays up his importance to the party - and the inevitable handover. It is worth remembering, too, that the deputy prime minister is actually supposed to be running the country during the PM's summer absence, a fact newspaper editors recycle to much amusement every year.
Important, too, is Prescott's self-proclaimed role as a go-between. On those occasions when Blair and Gordon Brown are barely on speaking terms, Prescott is said to play peacemaker.
By making party members aware of his centrality to the fortunes of new Labour, Prescott hopes to fend off demands he should go - though playing internal politics like this won't keep the press, or the public off his back.
