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BLAIR HAS FLAIR, BUT CLARK HAS STAYING POWER(New Zealand Press Association Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Auckland, March 29 NZPA - Love him or loathe him most people agree that British Prime Minister Tony Blair is the consummate professional politician. Flying into Auckland today with clouds over his future as leader and embroiled in a an election loans scandal, Mr Blair looked like he did not have a care in the world. Holding his wife Cherie's hand they managed to make their way down the steep stairs without a stumble and into the welcoming arms of New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark. Miss Clark, love her or loathe her, is one of New Zealand's finest ever professional politicians, but at times she looked clumsy in comparison to her fellow Labour leader. One journalist noted that her welcoming kiss to Cherie Blair looked more like a head butt than a peck on the cheek. Across at the Auckland Town Hall, Mr Blair delivered a coherent and at times witty speech off the cuff to a audience who just lapped it up. A joke about how it was also nice to get away from European Union bureaucrats in Brussels, no matter how far the flight, went down a storm. He managed to evoke the old World War Two spirit of New Zealand and Britain fighting hand in hand against a common enemy without evoking the more recent invasion of Iraq. Miss Clark delivered an adequate speech from her notes without even attempting to get a laugh. They have their similarities: both rejuvenated their tired divided parties and led them to three successive election results. Both parties have faced police investigation about how they funded their election campaigns, but there the similarities end. The New Zealand Labour party is almost off the hook, the British Labour party is still deep in the mire. Mr Blair led his country into Iraq and is now, by his own admission, ``having to tough out'' the political fall out. Miss Clark refused to back the war and while she faced political heat for her decision, even many National politicians say in private she made the right decision. Mr Blair faces constant questions about when he will stand down, no one doubts Miss Clark's future is in her own hands. Mr Blair might be one of the most able politicians of the last few decades, but Miss Clark is far more likely to be a national leader at the end of this year. NZPA PAR rh |