Posted on 03/09/2003 5:32:02 AM PST by knighthawk
Labour MPs opposed to war on Iraq are believed to be planning a bid to topple Tony Blair because of his support for the looming conflict.
The Prime Minister, still reeling from a recent backbench revolt on Iraq in the Commons by 121 of his colleagues, could face a leadership challenge at the next party conference in October.
Veteran MP and anti-war campaigner Tam Dalyell told the Sunday Sun that backbench MPs are already talking about having Mr Blair replaced.
Mr Dalyell, MP for Linlithgow in Scotland, revealed the plot to oust Mr Blair during a visit to Sunderland to speak at an anti-war protest yesterday.
He said: "In my opinion, if Tony Blair goes to war without a second UN resolution his future as Prime Minister is in serious doubt. The due process of the Labour Party might well be put into operation if Tony Blair goes to war without a clear mandate from the UN and an unambiguous vote from Parliament on whether they can go to war or not.
"For there to be a challenge to the Prime Minister there needs a trigger at the party conference.
"I would be less than candid if I said that there has not been talk about replacing Tony Blair."
There have been rumours some MPs are preparing to table a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party. Such a move would have no constitutional authority, however.
According to Labour's rulebook, when the party is in Government a leadership election "shall proceed only if requested by a majority of the party conference on a card vote".
Although Mr Blair could not be forced out before the party conference, should the potential war go disastrously wrong his position might become untenable, forcing him to resign.
At the Sunderland peace rally Mr Dalyell received a rapturous reception from 250-plus protesters gathered near the Bob Murray Library at the city's university.
He told them that Tony Blair should be listening to the people of the North and not to advisers to US president George Bush.
"The impact of these demonstrations is that it has made it clear to the American public that Tony Blair does not speak for Britain on this matter," said Mr Dalyell, known as the father of the House of Commons because he is its longest-serving MP. "Yes, Saddam has done terrible things, but things are relative.
"It wasn't Iraq that dragged a young princess through the streets to a scaffold to be executed.
"That was Saudi Arabia. Are we going to bomb Saudi Arabia? Of course not."
Regards, Ivan
I loved that movie! ;-)
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