Confirmation from the Guardian

[libertango]

Remember how I told you, back on 27 Feb, that Blair was in trouble, and might not make it through any Iraqi vote in the UN or campaign? And how this wasn't well covered by the US press at the time? And how Blair kept slipping domestically, right up to the precipice?

Well, dig this commentary from the Guardian:

"...before Blair departed for the March 18 Iraq debate, Downing Street had drawn up contingency plans for the withdrawal of British troops from the build-up in the Gulf and also for Blair's resignation, should the votes have gone against him. That is how serious (the Labour revolt) was."

And, further down:

"The reality, of course, was that the key decision rested with Gordon Brown."

Sound familiar?

Thanks to Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo for the link.

Comments

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

The Scottish and Welsh elections are coming up very soon - 1st May - and I am rather hoping that Labour gets a bloody nose: that is, it stays the single largest party in the Scottish Parliament, but loses about 10 seats to the SNP, the LibDems, and the Greens.

I think Tony Blair was gambling on the next General Election being at least two years off, and trusting that in two years time everything will be lovely in Iraq, and the US won't have dragged the UK into war with Syria (or Iran, or North Korea...) Unfortunately he may have been right - or at least, as I think the Guardian put it, he didn't blink.