The blogosphere is alive with the sound of knives being sharpened after yesterday's leaked memo detailing the plans for Tony Blair's departure.
By lunchtime yesterday news of the prime minister's "all guns blazing" final farewell had been overtaken by the story of three separate letters from Labour MPs, asking Mr Blair either to resign or name a date for his departure.
Opinions on the merits of a Blair resignation range from the uncomprehending to the gleeful. Columnist Melanie Phillips suggests that Labour has gone "stark, staring mad" in trying to force out its leader. "What is the political crime he has committed that is so heinous he must depart forthwith?"
Such considerations are in any case academic if 'Peter Hitchens' (on Guido Fawkes) is to be believed. "Blair will only leave number 10 kicking and screaming leaving bloody nail marks on the door frame," he predicts.
In fact, today's Sun carries a story that Mr Blair will quit as Labour leader on 31 May next year (see picture). That's an optimistic estimate, according to the TakingAim blog. "Frankly, I can't see him surviving beyond this year's party conference, let along staying on until the middle of next year," it says.
And TakingAim predicts that any leadership challenge come from a stalking horse and not Gordon Brown, who has "all the political courage of a squashed tomato".
If the Sun report is correct, then 'Scots Wha Hae', on the Guido Fawkes blog, will be more than happy. "Bloody brilliant!" he enthuses. "He's the best weapon against Labour in Scotland after Grown Brown and the ever hapless Jack McConnell."
And there's no shortage of suggestions for how the prime minister will be spending his time after he's stepped down. "Even a minor but truthful analysis would show that his next stop is the International Criminal Court. This man is a known liar, hypocrite and war criminal," according to Mikeuropat on the Guardian News Blog.
Not that Mr Blair needs a job. Vikingar, posting on the Nick Robinson blog, suggests that "Either way, his wife is soon to be the regular breadwinner (perhaps that's why he put so much parental and family legislation on the books)."
And on the subject of jobs, Iain Dale has only scorn for the plotting Labour MPs who yesterday drafted a letter calling for Mr Blair to go - according to him they're hypocrites and moral cowards.
Of Tom Watson and other junior ministers who signed one of the letters, Dale writes: "I've no doubt that he searched his soul for many hours before signing the letter. Four government PPSs also signed the letter. I for one would have more respect for them if they had resigned their positions at the same time."
Just over 24 hours after Dale's post, Tom Watson did just that. Resign, that is.
Seven resignations and counting. Is the House of cards falling in around Blair, or does he stil believe he can go leaving the people wanting more?
I think we all know the answer!
www.toryradio.com
Posted by: Jonathan Sheppard | Wednesday, 06 September 2006 at 02:34 PM
While I don't know all of the blogs you link to most of them seem to be, how can I put this, right of centre. Perhaps not surprising they're cackling with glee...
Posted by: Andrew Brown | Thursday, 07 September 2006 at 04:41 PM