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WHAT HAPPENED ON 8th May 2006?
7th May 2006
Blair 'target of Old Labour coup'
Tony Blair is the victim of a left wing plot to oust him as prime minister Home Secretary John Reid has said. About 50 Labour MPs are thought to have signed a letter calling for Mr Blair to name a departure date to end "debilitating" leadership speculation. But Mr Reid claimed their real agenda was to topple Mr Blair & turn the clock back on his reforms. It comes as Chancellor Gordon Brown calls for an "orderly" handover of power when Mr Blair steps down.
8th May 2006
Blair resists calls to step down
Tony Blair has refused to give a timetable for his departure as prime minister saying it would "paralyse the proper working of government". He insisted he would give "the time properly needed for my successor to establish himself". He said some of those calling for him to go wanted to "radically change the direction of policy & not to renew Labour but to reverse it". He refused to say if he had discussed the succession with Gordon Brown.
8th May 2006
Blair 'target of Old Labour coup'
Tony Blair is the victim of a left wing plot to oust him as prime minister Home Secretary John Reid has said. About 50 Labour MPs are thought to have signed a letter calling for Mr Blair to name a departure date to end "debilitating" leadership speculation. But Mr Reid claimed their real agenda was to topple Mr Blair & turn the clock back on his reforms. It comes as Chancellor Gordon Brown calls for an "orderly" handover of power when Mr Blair steps down.
7th May 2006
Blair has lost authority - Tories
The Cabinet reshuffle shows the government has lost its authority & is in "terminal decline" Conservative leader David Cameron has said. As some Labour backbenchers urged Tony Blair to name his departure date Mr Cameron said MPs were plotting rather than thinking about policy. Mr Blair has held talks this weekend with his likely successor Gordon Brown about Labour's future. Mr Brown has again called for the urgent renewal of the Labour Party.
8th May 2006
Blair resists calls to step down
Tony Blair has refused to give a timetable for his departure as prime minister saying it would "paralyse the proper working of government". He insisted he would give "the time properly needed for my successor to establish himself". He said some of those calling for him to go wanted to "radically change the direction of policy & not to renew Labour but to reverse it". He refused to say if he had discussed the succession with Gordon Brown.
8th May 2006
Ahmadinejad sends letter to Bush
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written to George W Bush proposing "new solutions" to their differences. The letter will be sent via the Swiss Embassy which represents US interests in Iran a government spokesman said. Mr Ahmadinejad proposes "new solutions for getting out of international problems & the current fragile situation of the world" he said. Reports say it is the first letter from an Iranian president to a US leader since the Iranian revolution in 1979.
7th May 2006
Labour suffers local poll losses
Tony Blair has suffered a bad night in England's local elections with Labour losing more than 300 councillors. The main winners were the Tories who had their best results since 1992. The Lib Dems failed to make much headway. Elsewhere the BNP doubled its councillors including winning 11 seats from Labour in Barking. The Greens & Respect also made gains. The prime minister has reshuffled his Cabinet to try to regain momentum after days of bad headlines.
8th May 2006
Blair resists calls to step down
Tony Blair has refused to give a timetable for his departure as prime minister saying it would "paralyse the proper working of government". He insisted he would give "the time properly needed for my successor to establish himself". He said some of those calling for him to go wanted to "radically change the direction of policy & not to renew Labour but to reverse it". He refused to say if he had discussed the succession with Gordon Brown.
8th May 2006
Reid 'took home office for Blair'
John Reid has said he did not "lobby" for the job of home secretary & only agreed to do it after persuasion by Tony Blair. Mr Reid is thought to have wanted to become foreign secretary in Friday's Cabinet reshuffle. The former defence secretary said he found the prospect of taking over his new department "daunting". It is his ninth ministerial job in nine years including health secretary Commons leader & Labour chairman.
