UK's Tony Blair - Is he going to go for the Hat Trick?

Just realised.

John Howard of Australia won the unwinnable election on October 9

George W Bush, Love or hate him just gobsmacked the half less 4 million of Americans who didnt vote for him.

Is UK Labour PM Tony Blair feeling any more certain he is going to a "Lazarus with a triple bypass" comeback and get another term. When are my Pommie (said with affection) cousins due at the polls.

Why didnt the former Spanish Government win after Madrid? IMHO because they "baby duckling'd" and instead of accepting and embracing Madrid as an AQ attack feebly and poorly blamed the Basques.

The paletable anger of the Spanish at being attacked by terrorists found a ready channel of direction at a gutless government afraid to accept the responsibility of its actions.

Anyway...back to my question...Blair ...his chances....his plan ..... what do you think?........"Calling London, Come in London"

Originally posted by craigandrew
Just realised.

John Howard of Australia won the unwinnable election on October 9

- I must admit, that surprised me. Was it as much about Howard or a terrible opposition?

George W Bush, Love or hate him just gobsmacked the half less 4 million of Americans who didnt vote for him.

- A diet of fear and a load of guff about 'morality' will work wonders in the USA these days it seems.

Is UK Labour PM Tony Blair feeling any more certain he is going to a "Lazarus with a triple bypass" comeback and get another term. When are my Pommie (said with affection) cousins due at the polls.

- Ah, now we're on my territory.

Tony Blair and the Labour party are fully expected (by just about every sane commentator going) to win handsomely at the next general election expected by most in spring or summer 2005.

The general election could be held as late as summer 2006 but 05 is tipped as the most likely date. A couple of newspapers even mentioned a snap poll in feb '05 as possible but I think that unlikely.....more likely that's about forcing the opposition to waste time, resources and their members morale cos they would have to prepare as if it were a possibility.

Due to the nature of the UK's 'first past the post' electoral system and the point we are starting from the main opposition party would have to be achieving a record lead over Labour just to achieve a 'hung Parliament' never mind a majority win for themselves.

This isn't happening never mind it being sustained until polling day. Bet your house on a major Labour win.

Why didnt the former Spanish Government win after Madrid? IMHO because they "baby duckling'd" and instead of accepting and embracing Madrid as an AQ attack feebly and poorly blamed the Basques.

The paletable anger of the Spanish at being attacked by terrorists found a ready channel of direction at a gutless government afraid to accept the responsibility of its actions.

- There have grown up a number of lies and myths as to why the Spainish people booted out Mr Aznar's gov. No, they did not 'cave in to terrorism'. No, they were not 'balckmailed into changing their government'.

The sad truth is that in Spain Mr Aznar's government were caught bang to rights attempting to 'use' the Madrid bombing by deliberately distorting the facts of it for narrow selfish political gain.

As would have happened in any other country they were very swiftly ejected once that became common knowledge in the country.

Anyway...back to my question...Blair ...his chances....his plan ..... what do you think?........"Calling London, Come in London"

- Blair and Labour are a certainty (as much as any political certainty ever is one). The very electoral system we use practically guarantees it.

The Labour/Blair haters won't like to face this truth but there you go.....Michael Howard & the tory party are the largest opposition party and they are currently polling worse than John Major or William Hague did before the 2001 election (and look what happened there - Labour/Blair landslide No.'s 1 & 2).

Of course more than 50% of voters will re-elect Tony - the most mendacious and duplicitous of prime ministers in living memory - notwithstanding Thatcher and Major
The evil is present in the world and emanating through world leaders
The only alternative to Blair likely for election is the equally Bilderberger stooge Brown
NO contest
The ordinary people of the world need to think how they can peaceably bring down this world tyranny and replace it with something more truly democratic
THIS IS URGENT

Originally posted by dh
The only alternative to Blair likely for election is the equally Bilderberger stooge Brown

- Tony Blair and Labour's actual opponents in the coming General Election will be Michael Howard's UK conservative party and Charles Kennedy's UK Liberal Democrats, actually. (None of these party leaders face each other in a single constituency)

This contest will take place in over 600 constituencies throughout the UK with thousands of local candidates throughout the country attempting to become Member of Parliament for each said constituency via the 'first past the post' popular vote system.

It is nothing like a straight Presidential vote as you imply and certainly not one between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair (who are in the same political party).

[edit on 3-11-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

Thanks Spinkeypinkey.......thought you'd be the first to reply.

FYI on Australian Elections.

Howards Coalition Government and Mark Lathams Labour fought the election on mainly domestic issues....the economy, labour reform, health and welfare, interest rates. Defence and Security were in there but neither really bashed the issue until the last week or two.

That was where they tripped for me. Ex-ADF and I remember what the ALP did to us in the 80s. We are still living with it today. One year after the Falklands, and nine days after Bob Hawkes Labor won, they axed a replacement for our old carrier, which the prior government had put on hold until after the election. Budget priorities was one issue....Five years later we had him opening a brand new $1 billion plus Parliament House....bloody statesmans disease!

Their comments in the lead up to Oct 9 showed nothing changed.

Security and Defence was important, but not as important....

But Howard scored big points with the Mum and Dad investors perceptions. Strong economic performance. Reminders of double digit inflation in the ALP days, and a reminder that the opposition leader Mark Latham was a council mayor in the early nineties and that his policies put them in the red. I think the Coalition scare ad was "If he couldnt run a council what makes you think he could run a country"

Lathams Pro Green policies on Old Growth logging in Tasmania lost him the key Tasmanian Labor seats there....The logging workers sided with Howard who had a worker freindly Green policy.

Plus crisis brings out the conservatism in many Australians, even new ones and there was a "dont switch horses midstream" factor involved.

Theres been wholesale bloodshed on the ALP benches. Shadow Cabinet Ministers who just weeks before were the best for the job, got skittled like nine pins after the election.

The Australian Democrats (Slogan:" Keeping the Bastards Honest") had held the balance in the upper house, lost half thier numbers....pretty bad considering only half were up for re-election, and thier leaders just announced he will not stand again.

A new Christian Right Pro Family party picked up some seats in the Senate, and the lower house too I think.

The Greens picked up some seats on the mainland, increasing thier numbers in the senate but not enough. But then thier "leader" a Tasmanian Senator wasnt up for re-election this year. I think the growing unemployment cues there are getting tired of his "Eco tourism around the corner will deliver for all" speech after 20 years.

All in all Howards looking better than he ever has with control of both houses and an increased majority......whatever his detractors (and they have reason to be) say about him, he put up the better show.

Its becoming a theory that after the ALPs Hawke/Keating years, when ever the ALP look likely to come up, they shoot themselves in the foot....repeatedly. Its ashame - I really wanted enough reason to vote against Howard this year, but it wasnt there.

Only one thing bugs me about UK Politics.

Both parties are gonna mine the bare bones of UK Forces backside for election promises money at the Forces expenses. I know I'm an Aussie and its not my problem, but I hate this and or approach the beancounters are taking in forcing massive cuts elsewhere to fund key projects.

And its unforgivable while they are talking about manpower and operational issues stuffing around the troops in Iraq.

Sorry for the rant.

[edit on 3-11-2004 by craigandrew]

[edit on 3-11-2004 by craigandrew]

I try not to bite dh but I just cant help it.........Snap! Cer..unch!

I didnt know (hey I'm in Oz) but you couldnt even spot two guys in the same party when you made your political rant


...you just lost cred points mate.

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey

Originally posted by dh
The only alternative to Blair likely for election is the equally Bilderberger stooge Brown

Blair will be re-elected Brown will take over
The Tory slimeball Howard is unelectable
Charles Kennedy will be poisoned if he poses the least threat as previously experienced
This is a same-# election with a one-party state and a stupified electorate just like happened in the US now
Vile corrupt genocidal bastards being re-elected
Stuff this system


- Tony Blair and Labour's actual opponents in the coming General Election will be Michael Howard's UK conservative party and Charles Kennedy's UK Liberal Democrats, actually. (None of these party leaders face each other in a single constituency)

This contest will take place in over 600 constituencies throughout the UK with thousands of local candidates throughout the country attempting to become Member of Parliament for each said constituency via the 'first past the post' popular vote system.

It is nothing like a straight Presidential vote as you imply and certainly not one between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair (who are in the same political party).

[edit on 3-11-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

[edit on 3-11-2004 by dh]

[edit on 3-11-2004 by dh]

Originally posted by craigandrew
Thanks Spinkeypinkey.......thought you'd be the first to reply.

- Always glad to meet your expectations craiga

Thanks for the info on the Aussie poll, cheers mate, interesting.

Maybe I am forgetting the 'other side' to the guy but things do seem a tad less 'colourful' now people like old Bob Hawke are long gone!

Just out of interest, what's your take on the state of the monarchy arguement there at the mo? A runner or not on the agenda?

Both parties are gonna mine the bare bones of UK Forces backside for election promises money at the Forces expenses.

- T'was always so mate.

I know I'm an Aussie and its not my problem, but I hate this and or approach the beancounters are taking in forcing massive cuts elsewhere to fund key projects.

- Well to a point. We have got some good stuff going on if they are true to their word. The 2 big carriers would be a for instance, provided they happen, and the JSF.

And its unforgivable while they are talking about manpower and operational issues stuffing around the troops in Iraq.

- Well some of that is down to northern Ireland. They're clipping a couple of thou because they say they have spare from cutting the 15000 troops here in NI to around 4500. That is where it's all coming from, apparantly. Sadly for those affected the numbers are not (supposedly) needed.

Sorry for the rant.

- No worries mate.....always glad to hear from the world's bottom!

......and you're getting set to toast now I suppose, the southern summer coming and all that? Lucky bleeder.

Already had a few days like that.....I live in sub tropical Brisbane Queensland up the NE side, on the Pacific Coast........."Beautiful One Day....Blood Hot or Downpouring the Next"......late arvo and night time thunderstorms on the bay at night are lovely though...until the touch down onshore that is.

As long as the power to the fans stays on, and I have a bathtub full of water for the day I will not complain.

It lovely at the moment. Sunshine, Cool breeze off the Bay, and just the sound of my bamboo chimes on the verandah.....its amazing what you can get for $360 AUSD a fortnight.

On the question of the Republic Debate...we still have a few on both sides prodding the carcass, you know wanting it settled once and for all, but for the most part I think most Australians have REAL issues to worry about.

The system works fine the GG is nice old holdover who witnesses forms for the most part and doesnt interfere and compared to what else we see on offer ...the UK (no offense) and the US & European (gawd) systems why would we want to spend hundreds of millions to change the titles on the door and stuff it all up?

Liz is a nice old duck who comes to visit sometimes, and rakes in a nice old tourist profit for you guys.

Its all good.

On UKForces.....hope your right......be a bugger if the cuts went thru AND the CVF didnt anyway.