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I will still be in charge next spring, says Blair
(The Daily Telegraph, Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) TONY BLAIR insisted yesterday that he would still be Prime Minister next spring, despite growing calls for him to give a date for his departure.
His remarks followed a newspaper interview in which he told Labour MPs to stop "obsessing'' about the issue.
The Prime Minister's refusal to set out a timetable for the election of a new leader revived talk among angry backbenchers of sending a delegation to Downing Street to force his hand.
Tony Woodley, the general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, said change was needed now and warned Mr Blair not to repeat the mistake of Margaret Thatcher who "did not understand when to go''.
But on a visit to Edinburgh, Mr Blair told The Daily Telegraph that he would campaign at next May's elections for the Scottish Parliament as Prime Minister.
"I have already said I am not fighting the next general election as leader of the Labour Party and I have also said I will leave ample time for my successor.
"I don't think I can do more than that to be reasonable, to give people reassurance that I am not going to go on and on and on but I have a job to do and I should get on and do it.''
If Mr Blair does remain in office next year, he is expected to set out the leadership timetable in the run-up to the May elections - possibly at Labour's spring conference in Glasgow.
But there was no sign that his latest comments would end the clamour for him to name the day or reduce the growing distrust of supporters of Gordon Brown, the favourite to succeed.
One of the Chancellor's supporters said last night: "People do not believe Blair
any more. What happens in May? Does he then tell us he'll go on for another six months? He will be forced out at this rate.''
In an interview with The Times yesterday, Mr Blair sought to halt speculation over his future by ruling out any further explanation in the near future of his intended resignation timetable.
But the comments - condemned by one Brownite as "pouring paraffin on the fire'' - appeared counter-productive, with normally loyal Labour MPs demanding clarification of the Prime Minister's intentions. Lyn Brown, MP for West Ham, said: "He needs to quell speculation. This is ridiculous.''
Wayne David, the MP for Caerphilly, called on Mr Blair to name the day and make it before the May elections.
In a clear sign of fury in the Brown camp, key allies of the Chancellor broke cover.
Andrew Smith, the former work and pensions secretary, said: "I would have thought it's clear to everyone that the debilitating uncertainty over the leadership can't go on. It's bad for the country, bad for the Government, bad for the Labour Party and ultimately bad for Tony Blair himself.''
George Mudie, MP for Leeds East and a former deputy chief whip, said Labour was heading for "a very messy conference'' in Manchester this month and urged Mr Blair to "name the date and let's move on''.
But Lord Cunningham, a Blairite former Cabinet minister, dismissed such calls as "claptrap'' and accused Mr Blair's critics of distracting the party.
Copyright 2006 The Daily Telegraph. Source: Financial Times Information Limited - Europe Intelligence Wire.
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