British people:

Your leader is quitting.

I'm not very up on British politics, so help me out. Is this normal? Is this how it usually works? The majority party gets voted in during a general election, but the Prime Minister serves for as long as his party remains in power, only leaving when he/she decides it's time?

CNN is saying that Blair's support for the Iraq war is a big part of why he's being forced out. Should i see this as the big deal i think it is?

Yeah, it's a pretty big deal. I don't think he'd have wanted to be pushed out of office, like Thatcher, but he's left the party with little option. He's seen by many as a liability and he appears to have taken the 'special relationship' with the USA a little too far and is thus losing trust. His credibility takes a dunt every time he comes on TV as he's usually blaming some crime on the rise of global terrorism.

He's not going until next May, and we all knew that anyway.

Ho hum. I wonder if Gordon's dream will come true, and if so, whether he will be any different. And for how long. And will Cameron really bring the Tories back into power? Or will there be a massive Green revolution? So many questions!

i think in reality its more to do with internecine Labour feuds and Brown feeling that its 'his turn' than any major policy disagreement.

Certainly Brown was right behind Blair on Iraq.

DrAwkward wrote:British people:

Your leader is quitting.

He's under the delusional belief that he'll be judged fairly in time for making tough decisions despite their unpopularity. In reality, the public, and vast swathes of Old Labour MPs lost their faith in his ability to make reasoned judgements a long time ago - and his steadfast refusal to accept that the public are pissed off with him is being seen of more and more as simply arrogant. He's clinging on to the vestiges of power because his advisers are desperate to rehabilitate him in the public's eyes. They don't want what started as a spectacular explosion of hope and optimism to be pissed entirely into the fire.

And it's quite possible that he's getting off on pissing off Gordon Brown.

They made an infamous agreement that Blair appears to have reneged on. For quite a while.

What's the general consensus on Gordon Brown? I am a typical US citizen in most respects, and would like to get a direct low-down rather than Googling my opinions...

It seems like anything other than Blair would be a step up, but I thought that with Clinton, and now I pine. Why aren't these guys getting shot?

i'm kind of out of this, but are there any concrete reasons blair got all kissy-kissy with bush in the first place? what does he stand to gain from his relationship with bush when most of britain doesn't support it? i hope this isn't a really stupid question.

davesec wrote:i'm kind of out of this, but are there any concrete reasons blair got all kissy-kissy with bush in the first place? what does he stand to gain from his relationship with bush when most of britain doesn't support it? i hope this isn't a really stupid question.

Business. Plus the obvious benefits of being the US's buddy. We are the wild and dangerous international police force, apparently, as per our agreement with Europe after WWII. Everyone plays the game, but we generally make the rules. Hail democracy!

rayj wrote:What's the general consensus on Gordon Brown?

Since he came out in favour of a replacement for Trident, I'm not interested in what he has to say.

davesec wrote:i'm kind of out of this, but are there any concrete reasons blair got all kissy-kissy with bush in the first place?

I think he feels he has to play the 'critical friend'.