With smiles all around and a well-timed pat on the back, the two most powerful figures in British politics made a carefully choreographed attempt on Wednesday to dispel talk of a bitter rift between them.
Prime Minister Tony Blair and his heir apparent, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, put on a show of solidarity as they launched the start of the Labour Party’s campaign for the May 4 local-council elections.
They arrived together in Blair’s grey Jaguar limousine at the East End offices of London’s regional development agency, where they mingled for an hour with Labour councillors and activists from up and down the country.
Both men refused to speak about their latest reported fallout, centred on when exactly Blair will make good on his promise to resign during his current third term and pass the reins of power to Brown.
Instead they flashed bright smiles — and Blair patted Brown on the back — as they complimented each other on a first-name basis and urged Labour to campaign on its record after nearly 10 years in power.
“It all depends on a strong economy and, thanks to Gordon, we have got a strong economy,” said the prime minister in an off-the-cuff address to the Labour faithful sitting at round tables.
Brown repeatedly referred to the prime minister as “Tony”.
“As Tony has said, we have been able to do more … As Tony has said, education is absolutely central … We believe in developing not just some of the potential of some of our children, but all of the potential of all of our children.”
The two men left separately — Brown first in an unpretentious sedan, Blair later in his Jag — enabling the prime minister to give a round of TV interviews in which he refused to say whether he has a date in mind to stand down.
“I’m just really not going into it any more,” he said. “I’m fighting on the issues and that’s the important thing, because whatever I do, that part of the soap opera is going to continue.”
The May 4 elections will be Labour’s first test at the ballot box since the general election a year earlier that returned Blair to power for a third straight term, albeit with a smaller Parliamentary majority.
Local councils are an important part of the political landscape in Britain, as it is at that level that many essential public services — such as schools, garbage collection and law enforcement — are delivered.
Labour’s chances could be undermined, however, by a slump in popularity for Blair and a furore over generous undeclared loans by rich Labour supporters who were subsequently nominated to the unelected House of Lords.
No fewer than three opinion polls within the past month have indicated that a majority of Britons would like to see Blair resign — if not now, then within the coming 12 months.
Blair acknowledged on Wednesday: “Local elections are always tough. It’s always tough when you are in government and it’s been a tough time, [but] we have got a record of which we are proud.”
On whether he was no longer an electoral asset for Labour, Blair replied: “That’s been going on for years.” — AFP