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Presents the views of British citizens in light of the coming general election. Author's three-day investigation to find out what people are thinking and saying about their lives and their politicians; Comments of British on topics which include Prime Minister Tony Blair, Michael Howard, asylum, the Iraq war; Author's suspicion that there might be a silent majority still supportive of Blair, but embarrassed to admit it; The growing interest in parties of the far right; Conclusion that race, asylum and immigration are uppermost in people's minds.

Presents a satirical quiz regarding politics and current events. Reference to the relations between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush; Responsibilities of Michael Howard as employment secretary in 1991; Popularity of the film 'Calendar Girls'; Success of the latest Harry Potter book; Others.

The article presents an interview with Ed Balls, Great Britain's secretary of state for schools, children and family and a close adviser to prime minister Gordon Brown. In the piece Balls discusses a number of issues including his plan to improve the lives of children in Great Britain, troubles besetting the Labour Party and perception that he holds more political power than he actually does.

The article presents an interview with Jack Straw, a British member of parliament and secretary of state for justice in the Labour Party government of prime minister Gordon Brown. In the piece Straw discusses a number of subjects including the importance of avoiding disputes with organized labor, the possibility of military action aimed at Iran and the attitude of former prime minister Tony Blair toward the Iraq War.

The article presents an interview with Jaqui Smith, in 2007 the Home Secretary of Great Britain. In the interview Smith discusses a number of issues including the ability of government to respond to the needs of the electorate, her opinion that Great Britain should institute a system of national identity cards and her views on combatting crime and terrorism.

The article discusses British Labour Party MP Hazel Blears who will be running for deputy party leader. The author gives a background of Blears, from her childhood to her current religious affiliation. Blears feels that politicians have been slack with the delivery of public services even though the government puts an increased amount of money into the services. Blears describes herself as a devoted follower of Tony Blair, and will be that of Gordon Brown if he is elected prime minister.

The article presents an interview with Alan Johnson, in 2007 one of the British Labour Party politicians vying for the deputy leadership of that party. Johnson discusses a number of issues facing Great Britain, including the impact of social class on education, Labour's record on assisting citizens living in poverty and the party policy on illegal drug use.

This article profiles Peter Hain, Northern Ireland Secretary and candidate for a leading position in Labour Party leader Gordon Brown's government. Hain has declared the Iraq war a mistake and believes the neo-conservative policies have been proven as failed. He pledges to reinvigorate British foreign policy with a strong ethical perspective.

This article discusses how British Home Secretary David Blunkett can reach people that British Prime Minister Tony Blair cannot. Galvanizing effect of the Blunkett visa affair on the Labour Party; Increasing public opinion in favor of the Labour Party; Blunkett's survival as important to Tony Blair; Reasons for Blunkett's special stature.

Reports that British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced his resignation after a five-year term starting in October 2004. Statement that Blair went into the hospital for an operation; Report that Blair did not inform the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown; Statement that Blair informed the chief of Labor's election strategy, Alan Milburn, and the European Union trade commissioner, Peter Mandelson; Claim that revelations about Blair's heart condition would have to be offset by a statement of his intentions; Possibility that Brown will be forced to resign; Role of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in promoting Brown; Discussion of Brown's political campaign; Criticism of Blair by Tory leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat Charles Kennedy.

Focuses on British Chancellor Gordon Brown and his role in the government's domestic agenda. His approach to foreign policy, the Iraq war, relations with America, humanitarian intervention, Israel, the European Union, and Northern Ireland; View that he has disdain for Tony Blair's quick-fix initiatives in domestic policy; Brown's stance on law and order, education, and industrial relations; Idea that Brown would follow through on Lords reform and the introduction of a Supreme Court if he had to suddenly assume the office of Prime Minister; Idea that he would pursue an agenda merging the free market economy with poverty reduction.

Focuses on the issue of genetically modified (GM) food in Great Britain and two British Labour Party politicians, Elliot Morley and Michael Meacher. Reasons that Morley was selected to replace Meacher as the environment minister for Prime Minister Tony Blair, who supports the GM industry; Discussion of the controversy caused by the European Union decision to block imports of all new bio-engineered crops; Background on Morley, career highlights, and his position on green issues; Opinion that Meacher became a figurehead for the anti-GM movement; Speculation on what Morley's environmental goals will be.

Discusses the idea that a political alliance forming in Great Britain which is based in the media. View that the coalition of conservatives and their pro-war leftist counterparts have the approval of the Tony Blair government; Discussion of the neo-conservative group, its views on British foreign policy, and how they are similar to a political and moral segment in the United States under the administration of George W. Bush; Opinion that the alliance of Blarites and Bushites are Atlanticists, meaning they believe in the goodness of American power and the free market; The development of the neo-conservative groups; Their roles in influencing British and American governments; Mention of Rupert Murdoch and the power of mass media.

The article presents an interview with British member of Parliament Jon Cruddas, who was, in 2007, in a race against several other British politicians to become deputy leader of the Labour Party in a government headed by Gordon Brown. He discusses, among other issues, the importance of reform in the Labour Party, his immigration policies and measures he would institute to improve health care.

The article presents a conversation from the Hay-on-Wye (Wales) literary festival between playwright David Hare and editor John Kampfner on the Iraq War, satire, and Hare's play "Stuff Happens." Hare talks about literary political commentary on Prime Minister Tony Blair's leadership and his involvement in the Iraq War. He discusses the reception of his play "Stuff Happens," about the lead-up to the war.

The article discusses the vast differences between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and notes how the two leaders illustrate the divisions in the modern Left. Tony Blair met with leaders from around Great Britain to discuss reform of the public services. Chávez sat down with Mayor of London Ken Livingstone to talk about poverty reduction.

Reports that the BBC, the organization that took on the government and lost thanks to Lord Hutton and his report, has not been let in from the cold. Importance in the light of license fee negotiations of reestablishing good relationships with ministers; Suggestion that nothing must be done to offend the ministers and that as a result the BBC and its journalists are losing their nerve; Signs of a corporate loss of courage in coverage of both domestic and international issues.

Presents an interview with Patricia Hewitt of the British Parliament. Comments from Hewitt regarding the government's reaction to the terrorist bombings of July 7, 2005; Comments on the how the attacks will affect the British Muslim community; View of Hewitt that the British people would not be any safer had they chose not to participate in the war in Iraq.

Discusses British Prime Minister Tony Blair's fate in the advent of the British elections in May, 2005. Question among Members of Parliament on whether to act on messages received from around the country, or to preserve the status quo; Campaigning of Michael Howard, the Conservative candidate for Prime Minister, on immigration policy; Antipathy felt towards the political process, which extends beyond Blair; Prospects of the Labour Party in the elections.

Discusses British politics and the outlook for the 2005 election. The Labour Party's potential for a third successive landslide victory; How a Labour victory could impact Prime Minister Tony Blair's succession by Gordon Brown; Issues that Brown has committed to; Division of the Blair entourage into two groups; Political factors working against Brown in 2009/2010.

Discusses whether disgruntled supporters can really trust British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Perception of the 2005 election as unpredictable; The confused mood of voters and politicians; Chances of Blair receiving a third landslide victory; Focus of the Labour Party on investment in public services; Campaign truce between rivals Blair and Gordon Brown; Campaign strategies; How Blair was forced to abandon his plan to offer Brown the job of Foreign Secretary; Political messages; Observation that Blair is at his most combative when at his weakest; Dilemmas faced by disillusioned Labour voters; Outlook.

Presents an interview with Great Britain's Leader of the Commons, Peter Hain. Comments on the 2005 elections; Views on potential reform of the Lords; Views on the strategies of the Labour Party; View that Great Britain must support the development of democratic government in Iraq; Assessment of U.S. foreign policy; Views on the impact of Prime Minister Tony Blair on Labour Party politics.

Discusses how, on the eve of the Iraq invasion, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush pressured Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General, to change his mind on the legality of the war. Background on Goldsmith, who shifted his position twice; Reluctance of Goldsmith to speak about the affair before the Butler inquiry; Goldsmith's opposition to sanctioning military action with United Nations approval; Blair's request that Goldsmith not declare his position formally; How Goldsmith's final document was not the same as his formal legal advice to Blair.

Interviews Tory Party leader Michael Howard of Great Britain. Criticism of Labor Party's policies on health and education; Discussion of Great Britain under former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; Comment made by Howard that the high prison population is necessary to protect people from crime; Effect of the British involvement in the Iraq War of 2003 on the elections of 2005.

Focuses on British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his reaction to criticism. His dismissal of the House of Commons during the latest debate over Iraq; Miscalculations made by Michael Howard that ended optimism for a new leadership; Strategy used by Blair to control the Conservatives; Robin Cook and John Gummer's criticism of Blair; Idea that Blair is being urged to do "the Baghdad bounce"; Outlook for Blair to run a third term.

Examines Lord Butler's report and what it means for British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The report's criticism of Blair's political leadership; Issue of competence; How, in the decision to go to war with Iraq, Blair has been found wanting; Highlights of the report; questions surrounding Blair, including the legal advice presented by Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, days before the invasion; Background on Blair's decision; View that Blair's lack of political accountability was highlighted in the events immediately after publication of Butler's report; Reference to the Hutton report.

Focuses on British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his position on Iraq. Blair's belief that history will vindicate his decision to go to war in Iraq; Indication by Blair's advisers that he may express regret for misleading the country regarding the mistaken intelligence on Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons; Hopes for improved security in Iraq and reduced press coverage of the subject; Difficulties disconnecting Iraq from broader discontent with the government, and Blair in particular; Argument of David Blunkett, one of several influential cabinet figures who do not share Blair's scenario; Belief of a sizeable part of the Parliamentary Labour Party that Blair's position remains vulnerable; Blair's strategy; Outlook.

Offers a look at politics in Great Britain leading up to the public elections of June 2004. Forecast that the two primary political parties that govern Great Britain will receive less votes each because of disillusionment of the public; Gains of the Liberal Democrat Party; Use of voting as a protest against policies; Consequences of Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to involve Britain in the Iraq War of 2003; Projection of the psychology of Labor Party voters; Discussion of international relations between Britain and European Union countries; Possibility that political parties other than Labor or Tory would receive proportional representation.

Offers a look at the British opinion of Prime Minister Tony Blair as of May 2004. Involvement of Blair in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq; Impact of photographs of the torture of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers in Iraq on the British public opinion; Statement that British Labor Party ministers are pondering when Blair should resign as prime minister; Predictions for the elections of June 10, 2004; Relations between Blair and United States President George W. Bush's policies in Iraq; Possibility that Gordon Brown will become the next prime minister of Great Britain.

Focuses on Gordon Brown, chancellor in Great Britain. Discussion of his eighth budget and civil service job cuts; His stance on income tax reform and redistribution, in light of the Iraq War; Differences between Labour and the Tories on fiscal policy; Outlook for tax increases; Political relations between Brown and Prime Minister Tony Blair; The issue of euro membership; View that Brown is seeking the top position in British government.

Contends that British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in a bind, since he cannot admit the blunders that led to the Iraq War, in both diplomacy and intelligence. Questions over what Blair knew; The compromised intelligence sources on Iraq; Issue of Iraq and weapons of mass destruction; Background on United Nations inspectors in Iraq; Significance of the events of September 11, 2001; Historical background; Outlook for Blair and his officials trying to explain their decision to rush to war on the basis of weapons of mass destruction.

Comments on British politics, the new Labour party, and Tony Blair. Background on the inquiry into illegal sales of arms to Iraq, other scandals under John Major, and media manipulation; Details of Lord Justice Scott investigation of arms sales and the strategy of Major; View that Blair will be impacted by the Lord Hutton verdict in the David Kelly case; How the case is being assembled against the government by Michael Howard; Defense strategy of the government; How Blair has shifted his position since the start of the Iraq war concerning evidence for the existence of weapons of mass destruction. INSET: Blair's changing line on WMDs.

Focuses on the political fate of England's prime minister, Tony Blair. Speculation about Blair's health; Decrease in odds that he will lead the Labour party into the next general election; Domination of the year 2003 by the war against Iraq; Speculation that Blair signed on to the United States' war effort prematurely; Status as the longest serving Labour prime minister; Sullen mood of the Labour party.

Discusses the recent actions by the minister for schools in Great Britain, David Miliband. Comments by Miliband on the current and future state of Great Britain; Improvements that Miliband has made on schools; Goal of Miliband to improve life for the lower class.

Reports on the outlook for journalistic freedoms to be curtailed, in light of a report by Lord Hutton. Idea that restrictions will be put on BBC presenters and reporters, which is prompted by the Andrew Gilligan newspaper article about "sexing up" allegations against the government in the Kelly scandal; Speculation on how the decision will affect broadcasters in license fees; Background on the Hutton hearings, the departure of Alastair Campbell, and the death of David Kelly; Outlook for Richard Sambrook, Greg Dyke, and Gavyn Davies; Indication that managers are considering a BBC mission statement on journalism; The issue of editorial control; Concern about the renewal of the BBC charter.

Comments on Tory leadership in Great Britain. Background on their lost leader, Iain Duncan Smith; View that Tory MPs dislodged the man they had not wanted; Political defeat of 2001; Overview of Tory challengers to Prime Minister Tony Blair, including Michael Howard, Oliver Letwin, David Davis, Michael Ancram and Tim Yeo; Importance of the party uniting behind a single candidate; Changes in voter attitudes.

Comments on British politics, Prime Minister Tony Blair, and negotiations in Northern Ireland. Praise for Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy and Blair for their roles in promoting peace; Blair's health and medical drama; The attention that Blair gave to the 1999 Kosovo war; Discussion of autonomy in various departments and decision-making powers in Blair's government; The issue of Iraq; View that the Blair government will not change substantially.

Focuses on Peter Hain, Leader of the House of Commons in British Parliament. His view that there is a crisis in the political class, which is defined as journalists, government and opposition politicians; His analysis of the relationship between mass media and politics; How his position on the Iraq War has changed, despite his advocacy for the ouster of Saddam Hussein; Details of his world-view of progressive internationalism that would intervene to protect human rights; His opinion on domestic issues, such as the euro and the Labour Party government.

Discusses how Prime Minister Tony Blair decided to commit Great Britain to support the United States in its invasion of Iraq. Mention of Blair's foreign policy views since 1994 when he became Labour Party leader; His interest in diplomacy and the meetings organized by Jonathan Powell that promoted the view that relations with the U.S. should be the foundation of foreign policy; The challenge of handling the George W. Bush administration; Impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; How the January 2002 State of the Union speech of U.S. President Bush affected Blair's confidence; The role of a resolution in the United Nations in securing Blair's commitment to war.

Offers observations on British Prime Minister Tony Blair after six years in office, as of June, 2003. Details of a lecture he gave to the Fabian Society in which he addressed his domestic policies and compared his administration to that of former Prime Minister Clement Attlee; Criticism of the manner in which he defends his policies; Possibility that he distorted information on Iraqi weapons programs in order to justify British entry into the Iraq War.

Offers observations on the euro question in Great Britain. Dispute between Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown over the euro; Impediments to adoption of the euro, such as Britain's failure to pass several economic tests put it by Brown; Possibility of a euro referendum in 2004; Decline in public opinion of Blair; Outlook for euro adoption.

Focuses on a dispute between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor John Brown over the euro issue. Progress of economic tests set to determine whether or not Britain needs the euro; Relations between Brown and Blair; Status of Blair among Labour Party members; Possibility that Brown's supporters may become a coalition.

Offers observations on the efforts of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to remake his public image following the Iraq War. Issues he must address in Great Britain, including resistance to his leadership; His support for so-called foundation hospitals; Disparity between the views of Blair and those of his exchequer, Gordon Brown, on foundations; Cabinet members who may be removed by Blair.

Discusses the views of British Labour Party chairman John Reid on a war against Iraq. Importance of addressing moral issues raised by this war; Support for Prime Minister Tony Blair within Labour; Its alliance with the United States; Notion of a war with Iraq as a socialist cause.

Discusses a donation by Richard Desmond, owner of Express Newspapers, to the British Labour Party. Lack of paperwork detailing the donation; Ethical debate about whether the money should have been taken; Shock over the way the donation was collected; Discussion of the secrecy surrounding high-level donations; Role of Lord Levy in fundraising; Belief that the party is broke and needs cash

Focuses on the outlook for English Prime Minister Tony Blair in British politics in light of his pro-Americanism stance and foreign policy views. Discussion of the balance of forces in the Labour Party; How Blair's international priorities affect his domestic agenda; Issue of Iraq and David Blunkett's position on the issue; How cabinet minister Clare Short defied Blair.

This article presents an interview with Labor Party member of parliament Stephen Byers, a confidant of Prime Minister Tony Blair. Byers argues that Blair needs to stay in office to prevent a Conservative Party victory in an election. He also states that Blair will hand over power to Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, but that no date has been set.

Offers a discussion about political conditions in Great Britain following the 2005 elections. Assistance given to Prime Minister Tony Blair in his reelection campaign from Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown; Lack of gratitude shown by Blair towards Brown; Question of how long Blair will stay in office.

Focuses on the campaigning of Ed Balls, former chief economic advisor to the Treasury under Gordon Brown and Member of Parliament for Normanton. Possibility that Balls' district could be split among three others due to expected boundary changes; Campaign literature advertising his connection to Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Examines politics and government in Great Britain as of March 28, 2005. Discussion of the electioneering strategy of the Labour Party; Details of the political affiliations of several British newspapers; Comments of Prime Minister Tony Blair on the political influence of conservative and liberal media; Assessment of the Labour Party's performance in election campaigns; Impact of immigration policies on the election; Impact of Gordon Brown's budget on the Labour Party's campaign.