Heads to roll as UK govt crisis deepens

LONDON – British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government was on the rack yesterday three days before local elections, with his deputy and interior ministers under growing pressure to quit in separate sex and prisoner scandals.

Commentators expect Blair to announce a reshuffle of his embattled cabinet after Thursday’s England-wide polls in a bid to regain public confidence nine years to the day after his Labour Party took office. His own job, however, also looks increasingly vulnerable as the recent wave of political crises battered support for his government and increased calls for Blair to reveal when he will fulfil his pledge to step down.Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was back in the spotlight after a second woman claimed he seduced her and a third accused the married father-of-two of sexual harassment.The developments followed Prescott’s admission last week that he had a two-year affair with his diary secretary, prompting calls for him to resign.Prescott is not alone.Home Secretary Charles Clarke’s neck is also on the line after his ministry failed to consider more than 1 000 foreign criminals for deportation after they were released from jail.Some have gone on to re-offend.This scandal is seen by commentators as much more serious than Prescott’s sexual transgressions, and Clarke is considered more likely to face the chop than the deputy prime minister.Clarke, however, insisted he would stay the course despite further damning revelations about his involvement in the prisoner furore.”My own political future depends on my own strength of character dealing with the points that are raised, first, secondly on the support of my own political colleagues, and thirdly and most importantly, on the decisions of the prime minister,” the minister told his local newspaper.”If I lost that support, that would be different.I hope I will continue as home secretary,” Clarke was quoted as telling the Eastern Daily Press.His comments came as officials confirmed Clarke knew for more than three weeks before telling Blair that prisoners convicted of serious crimes were among the 1 023 foreign offenders mistakenly allowed back into the community.Menzies Campbell, leader of the second opposition Liberal Democrats, said this latest information about Clarke “has sealed his fate.””He ought to resign and the prime minister should have accepted it when he first offered,” Campbell told BBC radio.Clarke offered twice to quit when details of the blunder emerged last week.He has since faced a strong backlash, particularly after saying Friday that five of the most serious offenders had gone on to commit drugs and violence offences after their release from prison.Another two had been accused of rape.David Davis, home affairs spokesman for the main opposition Conservatives, summed it up: “On the one hand, you have got John Prescott who is a Whitehall (government) farce.Charles Clarke is a national tragedy.”The developments came as England prepared to vote in local council elections on Thursday, with opinion polls predicting a poor showing for the Labour Party.Campbell said: “I don’t think the government will be able to escape the impression given in the course of the last three weeks that it’s running out of steam, that competence is no longer to be expected of it, and that a sense of authority is draining away from the prime minister, not least of course because of the continuing uncertainty as to when he’ll step down.”A bad election result will increase pressure on Blair to indicate when he plans to make way for his presumed successor, finance minister Gordon Brown.The Guardian newspaper reported that senior cabinet ministers want Blair to set a public date for this to happen.- Nampa-AFPHis own job, however, also looks increasingly vulnerable as the recent wave of political crises battered support for his government and increased calls for Blair to reveal when he will fulfil his pledge to step down.Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was back in the spotlight after a second woman claimed he seduced her and a third accused the married father-of-two of sexual harassment.The developments followed Prescott’s admission last week that he had a two-year affair with his diary secretary, prompting calls for him to resign.Prescott is not alone.Home Secretary Charles Clarke’s neck is also on the line after his ministry failed to consider more than 1 000 foreign criminals for deportation after they were released from jail.Some have gone on to re-offend.This scandal is seen by commentators as much more serious than Prescott’s sexual transgressions, and Clarke is considered more likely to face the chop than the deputy prime minister.Clarke, however, insisted he would stay the course despite further damning revelations about his involvement in the prisoner furore.”My own political future depends on my own strength of character dealing with the points that are raised, first, secondly on the support of my own political colleagues, and thirdly and most importantly, on the decisions of the prime minister,” the minister told his local newspaper.”If I lost that support, that would be different.I hope I will continue as home secretary,” Clarke was quoted as telling the Eastern Daily Press.His comments came as officials confirmed Clarke knew for more than three weeks before telling Blair that prisoners convicted of serious crimes were among the 1 023 foreign offenders mistakenly allowed back into the community.Menzies Campbell, leader of the second opposition Liberal Democrats, said this latest information about Clarke “has sealed his fate.””He ought to resign and the prime minister should have accepted it when he first offered,” Campbell told BBC radio.Clarke offered twice to quit when details of the blunder emerged last week.He has since faced a strong backlash, particularly after saying Friday that five of the most serious offenders had gone on to commit drugs and violence offences after their release from prison.Another two had been accused of rape.David Davis, home affairs spokesman for the main opposition Conservatives, summed it up: “On the one hand, you have got John Prescott who is a Whitehall (government) farce.Charles Clarke is a national tragedy.”The developments came as England prepared to vote in local council elections on Thursday, with opinion polls predicting a poor showing for the Labour Party.Campbell said: “I don’t think the government will be able to escape the impression given in the course of the last three weeks that it’s running out of steam, that competence is no longer to be expected of it, and that a sense of authority is draining away from the prime minister, not least of course because of the continuing uncertainty as to when he’ll step down.”A bad election result will increase pressure on Blair to indicate when he plans to make way for his presumed successor, finance minister Gordon Brown.The Guardian newspaper reported that senior cabinet ministers want Blair to set a public date for this to happen.- Nampa-AFP