This entry was posted on
Wednesday, December 15th, 2004 at
5:24 pm and is filed
under Tony ‘King Blair.

It seems such a shame after such a well-managed outing, but things don’t look good for our loved-up (and beloved) home secretary.

Guardian – Blunkett tells how love affair ‘went very badly wrong’: David Blunkett yesterday broke his public silence on the affair that threatens his political career as concern grew among Labour colleagues that his short-term survival in office may be overshadowed by long-term damage to his reputation for sound judgment.

Independent – Blunkett is unbalanced and should quit, says Labour MP: David Blunkett appears “quite seriously unbalanced” and should resign as Home Secretary, a Labour MP said today. The call followed reports that under-pressure Mr Blunkett stunned Labour MPs by singing Fred Astaire’s Pick Yourself Up at a Christmas party. Bob Marshall-Andrews joined fellow backbenchers in urging the Home Secretary to go after claims a second visa for his ex-lover’s nanny was “fast-tracked”.

(Cheers to Joe for the latter link.)

BBC – Blunkett sings of starting over: And veteran backbencher Gwyneth Dunwoody suggested the home secretary might ask if he was doing the job he was paid for properly… The pressure is certainly building on Mr Blunkett on a number of fronts… There is now widespread speculation in Westminster that next week might, one way or another, be crunch time for the home secretary.

1. I’ll field that last one. I quote: “When a man loves a woman (he) can’t keep his mind on nothing else.”
(This is, of course, a double negative… so technically – in the view of Percy Sledge at least – Mr Blunkett isn’t unable to keep his mind on the job.)

2. I’ll save Private Eye the trouble: “To fast-track one visa may be regarded as a misfortune… but to fast-track two seems like carelessness.”

3. This is all very strange. People who are on Blair’s team aren’t normally fitted up for a jacket with buttons in back. That treatment is reserved for people who leave his team. Like the ‘somewhat peculiar’ Robin Cook and that ‘rather unstable’ woman, Clare Short.

Are we watching Mr Blunkett implode before our very eyes… or have the liberal journalist scum learned a trick or two from our Great Leader?

UPDATE – Stick a pitchfork in him. He’s done…

BBC – Blunkett quits as home secretary