Why don't the British dump Blair and pull out of Iraq?

[Cyrano]

The majority of Brits think that Iraq is a mistake and a disaster, and that Blaire is Bubble Boy's lap dog.

Unlike us, they don't have to wait four years for an election. They can call for a vote of confidence which will give the Labor Party a chance to dump Blair and then pull their troops out of Iraq.

I don't know what's stopping them.

[shenmue]

1. Their last election...

although won by Blair, was split between Labor and other liberal elements. Wonder if they're thinking another election might cause further divisions which give the right room to sneak in.

[Warpy]

2. That's exactly what they're afraid of

another Tory government. They remember the acrimonious disaster of the Thatcher years.

The problem is that Labour hasn't managed to come up with much of an alternative to Blair. Like the Democrats, they seem obsessed with finding a way to make a humane and solvent government mesh with supply side economics. It can't be done, and until they realize that, Blair will be about the best they can do.

[mr blur]

3. We have a new leader of the Tory party.

Another privileged slimeball in "compassionate Conservative" clothing. An election would give this jerk a chance of winning - his strategy so far has been to agree with much of what Labour has been doing while saying that it doesn't go far enough. He has adopted much of Blair's rhetoric while presenting himself as the bright new alternative. He was in favour of the Iraq war. The LibDems would not win an election on their own but he has already invited them to join him and a coalition between the two of them would be very dangerous.