Time for the Fourth Way

11 March 2003

Blairism is in trouble. Labour has only ever backed Tory Tony reluctantly. It hates Bush’s war and threatens to reject both that and Blair. So would a war without UN backing turn Britain Left for the first time in 24 years? No but political instability is back.

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Leftwing Labour members of the British Parliament are ready to start a challenge to Tony Blair's leadership, according to reports. Following comments by a prominent member of the Cabinet that the Prime Minister's willingness to help George Bush launch a war on Iraq without United Nations' authorisation was "reckless", and by the party's most senior backbencher that he wanted a change of Prime Minister, the BBC is reporting that rankandfile MPs are making preparations for a formal leadership election. Of the 412 Labour MPs, 122 defied the government by voting against war in February.

In UN Security Council discussions, Blair is putting forward compromise proposals intended to secure a new resolution authorising the sue of force against Iraq. But, in response to pressure from Labour party members, Blair appeared on Tuesday to have abandoned the March 17 deadline for Iraq's compliance with disarmament demands. The US has said it will attack Iraq whether or not a new resolution is forthcoming and said it was prepared to go to war without the UK if necessary. Russia, China, and France have all said they will use their vetoes to block action.

Blair, who has led the Labour Party since July 1994, gave it its first election victory since 1979 after imposing a centrist "New Labour" brand on its previous leftwing image.

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