It looks like curtains for ‘President’ Blair. Every commentator besides Adam Boulton and James MacIntyre, who is possessed of a ruinous gambling streak, have now virtually written off the former PM. Blair has an uncanny knack of winning through against the odds, so I will not call time on his chances quite yet. But with Merkel and Sarkozy united against him, the fat lady is warming up for the main event with a few scales and arpeggios.
Where would failure leave Blair with regard to Labour and the election? Staunch Brownite and habitual anti-Blair plotter Tom Watson kicked the habit in September and urged Blair to campaign for the ailing Labour party – burying the hatchet being an indication that even our esteemed ruling clique acknowledged that all was not well in the Kingdom of Denmark. The situation has slipped further and more cries for help cannot be far away.
Blair is of course very busy: acquiring a fortune commensurate with the national debt and informing perplexed audiences about the evils of materialism. Will he spare the time to answer his party’s call? Almost certainly, though it is highly unlikely that he can make any difference; in fact, his divisive legacy may deepen Labour’s troubles.
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