Kinnock: Blair may resign after referendum
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock said Sunday that Tony Blair may “hang up his boots” after holding a referendum on the European Constitution.
Mr Blair’s about-face last Monday – which, according to press reports, he has since privately regretted – raised questions about his leadership and who would replace him if he stepped down.
Although Mr Blair’s ambition is to win an historic third term of office, the EU commissioner said the political terrain was such that with the trials and tribulations of late it would be “human and understandable” if he decided to quit whilst he was ahead.
But Mr Kinnock said it was no exaggeration to say there was no guarantee Mr Blair would step down without a fight given the prime minister’s deep sense of duty.
“He really does regard himself to be a servant of the people. Consequently he will be there for as long as he believes he is directly of service.”
The decision to hold a referendum on the constitution was a “pre-emptive strike” before peers forced the issue, Mr Kinnock said.
“The fact of the matter is of course that his calculation would have been that the real threat came from the probability of the House of Lords installing a referendum clause in the ratification bill that’s got to go through both Houses of Parliament.”
Many pundits claim if Mr Blair were to lose the referendum the pressure on him to resign would be huge.
EU external affairs commissioner Chris Patten warned yesterday Britain would be forced to exit the European Union if the public voted no in a referendum.
He said a rejection of the constitution would render the Blair administration’s stance on Europe untenable and lead to the UK cutting off of political ties with Brussels.
