Bush, Straw And The Poodle In The Middle

Tony Blair is looking less and less like the Prime Minister of Great Britain and more and more like a Colonial Governor for King George:

Senior sources close to the US Government told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Straw's outspoken opposition to America's policies on the Middle East was discussed by White House aides weeks before his shock dismissal by Tony Blair in May.

It follows the disclosure that the Bush Administration feared Mr Straw was in the pocket of Muslims in his Blackburn constituency.

And it gives further credence to claims that he was fired because of his refusal to back America's all-out support for Israel.

Mr Straw, now Leader of the Commons, was the first Cabinet member to speak out in public against Israel's attacks on Lebanon, describing them as 'disproportionate'.

And it is not the first time he has been at odds with US foreign policy. He angered the White House by saying that threats to bomb Iran to stop it acquiring nuclear weapons - a course of action which Mr Bush and Mr Blair have refused to rule out - were 'nuts'.

A US source told The Mail on Sunday: "Mr Straw's views did not find favour in the White House and its concerns were passed on to the British Government."

One of those "senior sources" is Irwin Stelzer. an aide to FOX owner Rupert Murdoch who is described as "a go-between for Mr Murdoch and Mr Blair and has free access to the White House and Downing Street."

But Blair may be about to face his own revolution.

Backbench Labour MPs angered at the Prime Minister’s handling of the Middle East crisis have been urging Cabinet members who have voiced dissent to “take the necessary step” of resigning, forcing Tony Blair to accept he no longer speaks for a united Labour Party.

With many backbenchers now accepting there is little chance that parliament will be recalled to debate the crisis, and that Blair will continue to unconditionally support the White House, a group of backbenchers – which includes former ministers – believe “high profile Cabinet resignations” can hasten Blair’s early departure from office.

...One former minister said: “There is now every prospect that Tony Blair will address the Labour Party conference in just seven weeks’ time against a backdrop of continuing fighting and expect a rousing endorsement of his premiership. That will be a farce, a damaging farce, which this party will pay for in falling support and disappearing respect. ”

The cabinet members understood to have been targeted are Jack Straw, the Leader of the Commons and former foreign secretary, plus David Miliband, the environment secretary, Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain, and Hilary Benn, the international development secretary.

All criticised the government line last week by stating that, without calling Israel’s attacks “disproportionate”, it would make the future stability in the Middle East harder to achieve.

If two or three resignations happened in concert, encouraging a wider revolt, Blair’s ability to remain as leader would be in grave doubt.

The UK's conservatives are also distancing themselves from the American hardline right's influence, something which is moving them towards Europe in a way that is unprecedented in UK politics - the Right moving to the Left of the Left. It's too early to tell yet whether Bush, Blair and the neocons have permanently wounded the UK/US "special relationship" but if they have then the world will be a more dangerous place in years to come because of that wounding.