[Futurework] Blair's curious resignation

[Keith Hudson]

The way Blair is going about his resignation is curious beyond anything 
written in a novel. He's been having these strange (though trivial) 
illnesses in the last two months (and spoke about them at some length in 
his press conference yesterday -- the stress of leadership and all that). 
Moreoever, he's been trying to force through new legislation to load up 
students with more tuition debts before they start university (though they 
can pay them back afterwards [unless they declare themselves bankrupt which 
a few are already doing!] ) so that the so-called world-class universities 
(Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London) can survive financially 
(having been starved by the government in the last six years -- spending 
per student halving). Now, he says, it's going to be difficult to fight at 
least 170 of his own Labour Party MPs just now so the big fight will be 
left until January or so -- and he'll win then, so he says. But he might 
not, so he also says. Fact is, he'll lose and then he can resign having 
done his best, so he'll say.

What's all this about? I reckon it's about Lord Hutton's Report (on the 
death of Dr David Kelly). It was due last month, but Hutton decided that it 
would be published next January. When I heard this I thought that this was 
because Blair and Hoon (Defence Secretary) would have been able to get at 
it and tweak it. But no, it would seem that the report will be just as 
condemnatory as it ought to be (considering that Blair lied twice over his 
responsibility in naming Kelly). Here's an extract from the FT of 
yesterday  which I missed while I was house-hunting in the sticks :

<<<<Lord Hutton has alarmed the government by refusing to send drafts of 
his report into the death of Dr Kelly to ministers, officials and others, 
including the BBC, who will be the subject of criticism.
    His decision, which breaks with normal practice of judicial enquiries, 
could give Tony Blair only hours to react before the potentially damaging 
report could be published.
    "It's going to come as a bolt from the blue," one government official 
told the FT. "We're being given no advance warning at all.">>>>

So Blair is going to have to resign (for lying) in January/February anyway, 
but he'd rather resign just before the Report is published citing a tough 
and principled fight against those who are blocking his "reforms" to save 
the universities. So this is what is going to happen IMHO. SWhat will Bush 
do then without his (only) pal?

Two years ago, Blair was trying to force us to adopt the Euro currency and 
a new European Constitution -- without a referendum. (We haven't even got a 
written Constitution!) I think he was angling for Presidency of the 
European Union then or at least an important Commissionership. Then his big 
rich media pal Richard Murdoch ditched him for his support of the EU. Then 
Bush got Blair to join in the Iraq invasion. On the basis that Iraqi oil is 
thicker than olive oil, Blair opted out of his European campaigning (and 
the prospect of a directorship in the Carlyle Group later). President 
Chirac of France now treats Blair with disdain and dry sarcasm even in 
public. (Blair dared to call him "Jacques" the other day at a press 
conference. Chirac responded icily to "Prime Minister Blair".) So Blair's 
future career in the European Union is finished. So what's he after now? 
Possibly a Mastership of an Oxford College -- one of the most prestigious 
jobs that anybody could land in this pleasant land. That would be some sort 
of recompense for a Prime Minister who's served his country so well -- with 
collapsing national health service (NHS) and state education system despite 
spending going up about 50% to both in the last six years. (Facts: Average 
waiting time for operations in the NHS is 9 months, one quarter of all 
medical student leave the profession after qualifying and spending training 
time in our NHS hospitals; most doctors are withdrawing week-end and 
night-time home visits next year; one quarter of teenagers leaving school 
are illiterate and innumerate; one third of university students drop out 
during their degree courses.)

There we are then -- I must move on to greater thoughts. When anybody talks 
of the death of the nation-state, remember that it's happening here first, 
and that you read about it here first. We led the way into the industrial 
revolution -- why shouldn't we lead the way out of it? We still have a bit 
of pride in our leadership qualities.

Keith Hudson

Keith Hudson, Bath, England, <www.evolutionary-economics.org>

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