Blair running on borrowed time

Blair is in real trouble:

Already reeling under the biggest political crisis of his premiership, the pressure on Blair increased significantly yesterday when a respected member of his own Labour party, former cabinet minister Glenda Jackson, called for his resignation.

But perhaps the biggest blow came from the grieving family of David Kelly, a scientist caught up in charges that Blair's office doctored intelligence about Iraq's weapons. They made clear that Blair and his government should consider the role they played in making his life "intolerable." [...]

In interviews published in today's British papers, Jackson is scathing in her criticism of how the government managed the row with the BBC. She called on Blair, Hoon and Campbell to "bite the bullet" and resign.

"I cannot, for the life of me, see what benefit they are bringing either to our country or my party by remaining in office after this shameful and disgraceful episode," she told the Mail on Sunday.

The pressure on Blair is intense, and led to this startling moment -- which will one day be remembered as the end of Blair's career:

[O]ne British reporter shouted out: "Have you got blood on your hands, Prime Minister? Are you going to resign over this?"

Blair froze. He stood uncomfortable and silent at the lectern for what must have seemed like the longest 30 seconds of his political career, until Koizumi called a merciful end to the press conference.

Posted August 01, 2003 09:42 AM