PRIME MINISTERS TOO HAVE THEIR PROBLEMS

By Dukhinda Jayawardena -7th September 2006

At this moment a major political drama is brewing between the portals of Westminster Palace, the home of the British Parliament, the so called, "Mother of all Parliaments". The incumbent Labour Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair is facing the greatest challenge to his authority and position. He has arrived at a crucial period that Mrs Margaret Tatcher the Tory Premier, had to experience in November 1990. A Party rebellion

In 1997 Mr Blair as leader of the Labour Party contested the General Elections and won a landslide majority, he brought the Labour Party out of the opposition benches after 18 frustrating years. As one of the youngest Prime Ministers he was popular nationwide. Tony Blair was re-elected with another landslide majority in the 2001 General Election. His popularity dropped down some what because of his single handed support to the United States in it's war against Saddam Hussein and the 'War on Terror' after September 11 attack in New York.. Yet he was able to win the 2005 General Elections, albeit, with a reduced majority.

Prime Ministers do tend to have 'tunnel visions' especially when they become too successful and win a third term of office. This is when they adopt a syndrome known as "executive powers" a term that should be alien to Parliamentary Democracies. Mrs Margaret Tatcher too had the same syndrome and was basically booted out of No 10 by her own party stalwarts. Sadly Mr Blair had not taken that lesson seriously.

Today Mr Blair's staunch Labour Party supporters are ganging up together to push him out of office, they are calling him to resign now or come public with the date he intends to relinquish his Prime Ministerial post. The problem for Mr Blair is that once he announces a date for his departure his authority within his party is gone too.He is trying to wiggle his way out of this dilemma, but personally I do not think he has any other path to tread.

The nation thinks with his departure the current Chancellor, Mr Gordon Brown will automatically be the party leader and succeed as Prime Minister.
Politics being a dirty game, nothing can be safely accepted as conclusive. Better to wait and see than predict now

Politicians all over the world are akin to a pack of hyenas, they bide their time until one is unable to fight back and then they go for the big kill, matters least whether one is a friend or foe, they love to see blood and plenty of it.