Had the Labour Party he led borne even a passing resemblance to the Labour Party we thought we had elected into government in 1997, we would not have had to endure the unnecessary and insulting performance that Tony Blair put on last week in the uterine comfort of his constituency in the North-East: that other Labour Party could never have followed him so slavishly wherever he chose to take them in the wake of George Bush, would have known it needed at all costs to replace him for its own long-term good, let alone ours, and so never allowed him the chance of fixing as he very theatrically has the mise-en-scène of a voluntary resignation. And a resignation like no other, date-stamped as it is: we have to gaze on an only half-empty stage for the six weeks between now and 27 June while Blair plays the role of our first ever ex-prime minister-in-waiting.

LRB 24 May 2007 | PDF Download