Evening All...
Perhaps I can take us on a different tack as this is an AH board and invite you to read this newspaper piece which has found its way via wormhole from an AH world...
Blair: I won't go "on and on" like Thatcher...
Prime Minister Tony Blair received a warm reception when addressing the Trades Union Congress in Bournemouth this afternoon. Approaching nearly a decade in power, Blair looked relaxed and spoke for over an hour to the audience of union delegates.
In his address, Blair re-stated that he would not go "on and on" like Margaret Thatcher but would leave Downing Street in his own time. Since the third landslide election victory in May 2005, when Labour was returned with a majoritry of 125 seats, speculation has grown as to whether Blair wanted to serve a fourth full term as leader or would hand over to Chancellor Gordon Brown.
Public service reform was the keynote of the Prime Minister's address....
There's also this opinion piece from the Guardian newspaper of September 13th 2006:
"...Blair's relationship with President Kerry has been far better than that with President Bush. It's well known that the Democrat victory in November 2004 was warmly welcomed in Britain and Europe. The Kerry Administration has progressed the Peace Process in the Middle East and did much to bring about the successful UN mission to Darfur last year which saw American, Russian and Chinese forces work together to alleviate a humanitarian crisis and bring about a peaceful transition to democracy in the Sudan.
The relationship with China remains strained despite President Kerry's visit to Beijing earlier this year. Growing Chinese economic prosperity raises serious issues for oil prices and the environment.
The latest opinion poll shows Labour still ten points ahead of the struggling Conservatives. The sacking of John Prescott in April of this year and his replacement by Alan Johnson saw a momentary dip in Labour's fortunes but the Conservatives, under David Davis, are yet to mount a serious challenge and were deeply embarrassed by the loss of the Bromley & Chislehurst seat to Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats.
I lunched last week in the sumptuous "Windows on the World" restaurant in New York with an influential American commentator. His view, echoed by many in Washington, is that Blair has been an invaluable ally, mitigating the excesses of the Bush Presidency and inspiring John Kerry to be more active on the world scene. Blair has also been an ally in rebuilding Euro-American relations, which suffered badly under Bush. Recent visits by Jose Aznar and Gerhard Schroeder show the degree to which Euro-American bridges are being rebuilt. My American companion said he was not concerned if Blair left in the next couple of years. "He'll still be in charge even if he's not PM" were my guest's words."
This, if you haven't guessed, is from a world devoid of 9/11 or even Al Qaeda in any form.
