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| Britain |
| Cook quits over Iraq crisis |
| 2003-03-17 |
| Robin Cook has resigned from Tony Blair's cabinet as the build-up to war with Iraq gathers pace. The decision by the Leader of the House of Commons, one of the highest profile figures in the Labour Party, came as the cabinet held an emergency meeting in Downing Street. So is Tony in trouble or not ? |
| Posted by:Domingo |
| #5 Hear hear! A very courageous man - not the sort of man I'd invite to dinner, or trust completely domestically (same as Bush); but for this matter at least (again, like Bush), the right man in the right place at the right time. No one can sneer at him for careerism - he has taken a great risk (at least, in the eyes of most of the country) and stuck to his guns. This, more than anything else, may have turned the UK public around. If things go well, he will be forgiven by them. I don't think New Labour is fucked, but I do think socialism as a tendency in UK politics is fucked. New Labour is, and has been for some time, a classical liberal party, which is quite as it should be! If (as I'm sure we all hope and pray) things go well, I feel that _this_ time people will remember the dire predictions, the drumming up of hysteria (by the media too), etc. - and will now become properly suspicious of a species of thought that can get things so spectacularly wrong. |
| Posted by: George Stewart 2003-03-17 21:05:11 |
| #4 I think Tony Blair deserves the deepest respect for what he has done and continues to do. Here is a politician who stands up to his beliefs, who is willing to compromise his (once huge) popularity to do the right thing. Even if he doesn't survive this war he will once be remembered as one of the greatest prime ministers the UK ever had. And as a leader Europe would have needed so much. |
| Posted by: tcc 2003-03-17 20:46:49 |
| #3 This one resignation in itself is nothing to worry about. One out of a cabinet of 25! Even Clare Short hasn't quit, as she said she would. Expect a parliamentary rebellion soon, but Tony certainly isn't history tonight... |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2003-03-17 16:44:42 |
| #2 Tony will survive. Ian Duncan Smith will, for the right price (Deputy Prime) put the 190 Conservative votes behind him. Penultimately, it is the end of New Labour. |
| Posted by: Brian 2003-03-17 15:25:57 |
| #1 Tony is history. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-17 15:11:54 |