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Britain
Blair’s hand signal sends clear message to Clare Short
2003-05-11
Looks like Short's future in Blair's government is, well, short...
Actions sometimes speak louder than words. With one gesture, Tony Blair made clear to colleagues at last week's Cabinet meeting that he thought Clare Short was — in every sense — not all there. The Prime Minister pointed to the International Development Secretary's empty seat at the table on Thursday and then gestured to Jonathan Powell, his chief of staff, circling a finger by his head. One Cabinet minister told The Telegraph: "He just thinks she's lost it.
She's a prominent British anti-war leftie: course she's lost it. Though it's doubtful she ever had it in the first place. We're talking about the likes of Dalyell, Benn, Cook, Livingstone and Jackson. Not to put too fine a point on it: they're all completely stark raving mad (those who weren't on the take, that is).
He turned to Jonathan and just did this gesture with his finger. That said it all." Mr Blair's display reinforced the suspicion among Ms Short's colleagues that he intends to axe her in the forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle. Ms Short, 57, who was not available for comment last night, is renowned for her mercurial temperament. Mr Blair has long tolerated her rebellious nature and regarded her as a useful idiot ally in his attempts to pacify the Labour Left. But the Prime Minister now appears to have lost the need for patience with her. Ministers believe that her fate was sealed when she accused Mr Blair of being "reckless" over Iraq. He was urged to sack her immediately, they say, but stayed her execution to avoid making her a martyr before the Commons vote on the war, when he faced the biggest government rebellion in a century. She asked to be excused from last week's Cabinet session to prepare for a meeting with the presidents of Rwanda and Uganda. The night before, however, she had failed to turn up to support the Government against a backbench rebellion over its controversial hospitals Bill. Her aides insisted she had made a mistake about the timing of the votes, but allies of the Prime Minister say they do not believe her excuses. It was also noted that Dennis Turner, Ms Short's loyal parliamentary private secretary, who usually escorts her in the Commons, voted for the Government three times — making her claim that she had forgotten the time of the vote all the more implausible.
Posted by:Bulldog

#2  I suppose that depends on your definition of crazy. I'd say that being out of touch with reality is grounds for being labelled crazy. Tony has to work with her, and I assume knows her better than you or I do. I trust his judgement.

Could you imagine being trapped in a lift with the people I mentioned in the post? Do you think you could cope for more than five minutes? Do you think you'd understand them? They live in a different world. And, compared to the others, to be honest, Short is fruitcake lite.
Posted by: Bulldog   2003-05-11 08:29:27  

#1  I am Deeply Saddened (TM) that Blair thinks Claire is crazy. She isn't crazy.

Short is a dedicated commie pinko whose goal is the overthrow of the British government and the establishment of a communist government in its place.

Short holds a minor government post. Why doesn't Blair just send her packing?
Posted by: badanov   2003-05-11 07:46:45  

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