quote:
Originally posted by D. McDonagh:
Has his latest little law and order initiative made the press outside of the UK? Cutting off child benefit to parents with unruly kids?


Nope didn't hear about that one. Not good.

quote:

Okay, this is as much Blunkett as Blair (or at least Blunkett gets to carry the can for it, and so deserves to have his furniture rearranged every day for the rest of his life) but it's happening under Blair's authority, so he can't palm all of the responsibility off onto someone else.

The last thing I heard about Blunkett was a good write up he had in tackling ultra-conservatism (read: facist conservatives) in last week's Economist. Blair and Blunkett have been copping a serve in that publication about not being able to challenge the huge civil service.

quote:
I'm surprised to hear he has a decent international rep, though. I'd always thought that he was perceived as Washington's fawning little ****toy. Of course, he does like to spend a lot of time out of the country, which would account for that: as soon as a domestic problem flares up, he's on the next plane to support the rest of the ****ing G8 club in some stupid bull**** or other. Death's too good for him.


There is an element of the ""our man in London"" thing about Blair in the press, but generally its in the context of being the middle man in negotiations with Muslim and Arab countries -the UK has some strong ties in the region, still, and many more than the US, so its not something the Yanks can pull off without UK help (for political reasons as well as the incompetance of their diplomatic service). Blair is seen doing the diplomatic job the Americans can't do.

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