Bloody Blair?

Tony Blair has finally decided to confirm he’s jacking in the top job. Despite his failings, specifically the Iraq debacle, I still quite like Blair and never cease to be amazed at how political parties are happy to sacrifice their great and good as part of a perceived development or moving on process. I’m also amazed that it’s allowed during the term of government to swap leaders at all, especially when it appears based on media hype, lies and hearsay, and not upon incapacity or death. Now I know he’s not perfect, far from it. But then who is? If he has faults it’s that maybe he’s become too obsessed with the international stage and role of “statesman”, and has been Bush’s lackey for too long. The whole Bush thing is blown out of proportion because lets face it he can influence Bush far more by cosying up to him than adopting the stance of other European leaders of distancing themselves from a very dangerous, and to my mind unstable, man running the worlds biggest superpower. I know the US likes to think of itself as the only remaining superpower, but really….China is right on their heels, and an increasingly united Europe is already showing more resistance to US domination than Bush finds comfortable….which is a good thing in my view.

Blair, in all likelihood has gone on too long, just as did the Wicked Witch Thatcher. But in my view the actual change should come before a general election after the dissolution of Parliament, thus allowing the new man/woman to hit the ground running. This “succession” could be decided months in advance through the existing processes, so that the incumbent can hand over to the incoming and pass the baton seamlessly during the dead parliamentary time. In most companies this is called Succession Planning. This could be wrapped up as a term and condition of every political party in the UK. Can anyone give me one good reason why this WOULDN’T work?

And as for going on too long, why not just adopt the US system which only allows the President 2 terms (thank fuck!)? Thus when Grocerjack becomes PM (or President, being as I am a Champagne Socialist Republican) I can only be voted in on 2 elections for 2 terms. During the second term the “succession planning” kicks in and a new successor is elected….or in my case in The Jack Party (called Liberation) I choose the one I like best. A seemingly sensible suggestion to run alongside the adoption of Proportional Representation for greater democratic representation and fairness (although I’d remove democracy for my first few years in favour of my Benign Dictatorship until everything’s sorted to my satisfaction and everyone is happy with their lot).

Easy, Grocerjack