How much longer for Blair?

[minionofmidas]

I seriously doubt he'll go anytime soon.

That's my gut feeling too ... that they'll have to drag him out of No 10 kicking and screaming.

[minionofmidas]

That's my gut feeling too ... that they'll have to drag him out of No 10 kicking and screaming.

I used to think that; up until he said that 2005 would be his last election.

I'm increasingly thinking that some of his allies are much keener for him to stay on for as long as possible than he is himself; he's spent the last year or so tinkering on various legacy projects after all.
There hasn't been a real Cabinet reshuffle for almost a year, and interestingly enough, he seems to be much less involved in the running of Government than he used to be (After all, a few years ago he would not have let Kelly strike the deals needed to get that Education bill through).

True...doesn't have to mean much. Pretty much all the above could have been said - was said - about Helmut Kohl in 1995.

[minionofmidas]

...also what Kohl tried to do to/ did to Schäuble, what Teufel tried to do to Oettinger, what Adenauer tried to do to Erhard... it seems like that's something that does not tend to work, but that's always very tempting to those in government. Probably just because it provides them with a good excuse for staying in office.

[minionofmidas]

I don't think it's "hate"... it's more about noticing the other person's incompetence but not your own.  Once you've settled into retirement, you've a chance to regain some perspective.

[minionofmidas]

Just because you've got a chance to regain perspective doesn't mean you have to take it. Margaret Thatcher certainly doesn't strike me as someone who has... nor does Helmut Kohl. (And nor has Wolfgang Schäuble's brother Thomas - who was (is?) a member of the Baden-Württemberg state cabinet - as far as Helmut Kohl is concerned. He did actually publicly state that he "detests" Kohl, some years ago.)