Press flay Blair over referendum

[dArKeR]

AFP , LONDON
Thursday, Apr 22, 2004,Page 7

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has gambled his career by deciding to hold a referendum on the proposed EU constitution, newspapers agreed yesterday.

The move, announced by Blair in parliament on Tuesday, was attacked by much of the press as a bid to gain political advantage domestically rather than being motivated by a commitment to democracy.

"Blair gambles his career on Europe verdict," said the Times on its front page.

The right-wing paper said Blair had made the "most complete U-turn of his premiership" and left "serious questions over whether he could survive a defeat" in a referendum, the date of which has not been revealed.

The Financial Times accused Blair of "grubby opportunism." It said he had been compelled to "cast aside his principled objections to a referendum for political expediency" in a move likely to help him in the next general election, expected in the first half of next year.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/04/22/2003137628

At least Blair has some more feces to eat before he gets to the depths of Rudy Giuliani drinking the blood of 911 victims. I still can't believe Giuliani on his book promotion tour to profit from the 911 dead.