The latest revelations from the Anthony Seldon book reveal just how much Tony Blair was weakened by his diminished majority following the 2005 election. The Times reports that not only was Blair forced to abandon his plans to reform the Treasury and possibly move Gordon Brown, but also saw John Prescott and others thwarting his reshuffle plans.
This exchange between Blair and Brown reveals how Blair was incapable of getting his way even on relatively minor personnel issues:
Blair had decided that he was going to move in on the Treasury appointments. ‘Isn’t it at last time to sack Dawn Primarolo [the Treasury minister, now Minister for Public Health]?’ Blair asked him. Brown reacted strongly to protect her. According to one official, their conversation followed the typical pattern at the time. ‘The Prime Minister would start off the conversation on the front foot and Gordon would respond simply by saying ‘F off’.
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