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UK's Blair faces struggle to get new laws passed
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-08 21:29
Safely re-elected but with a far smaller majority, British Prime Minister
Tony Blair may struggle to get key measures through parliament in his third
term.
Blair will spell out his legislative plans within 10 days, but aides have
already made his priorities clear. The big question is whether a hard core of
opponents within his own Labour party will stop him making them a reality.
In his second term, Blair commanded a massive 161-seat parliamentary majority
but his government was almost defeated when it proposed students pay more for
higher education, as rebels in his own party allied with opposition parties.
Now he has a margin in parliament of 67 seats, projected to fall to 66 once
one final outstanding seat has been decided.
"It would be a mistake to put up the 'Business as Usual' sign," said former
minister and Blair ally Stephen Byers.
"Tony Blair has to show that he is listening."
There are a number of planned bills which may lead to disputes among his
party members.
-- An Asylum and Immigration Bill to "fast-track" asylum applications,
provide new powers of detention and establish a points system to identify valued
economic migrants.
-- An Identity Cards Bill to make Britain's borders@secure, tackle welfare
fraud and fight terrorism.
-- A further anti-terrorism bill with measures to catch and convict those
involved in helping plan terrorist activity.
"RADICAL PROGRAMME"
Earlier this year, Blair was almost defeated over a draconian new law
allowing terrorist suspects, British and foreign, to be restrained or detained
indefinitely under so-called "control orders".
Under pressure, he pledged to allow parliament to regularly review the
legislation.
"If the government tries to push through ID cards and a resurrection of
control orders when the bill comes up for review, I think they are going to be
in serious trouble," said Labour left-winger and long-time Blair opponent Jeremy
Corbyn.
Other bills that will be spelled out by Queen Elizabeth at the state opening
of parliament on May 17 include" -- A bill to reform incapacity benefit and
remove disincentives to work.
-- Work and families legislation extending maternity leave and pay and
introducing shared equity schemes for home ownership to help people onto
Britain's pricey property ladder.
-- A health improvement bill to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces and
tackle "superbugs" by improving hospital hygiene.
Any government plans to allow further private sector influence in public
services like schools and hospitals could also run into difficulty.
Blair has promised a "radical programme" of domestic reforms in health,
education, immigration and crime policies.
"With a majority of around 60, it's going to be very, very difficult," said
Philip Cowley, politics expert at the University of Nottingham.
"(University) top-up fees they got through last time with a majority of five.
I don't think there is any way you would get a similar measure through the
parliamentary party now."
The Labour party's trade union bankrollers, fairly subdued during Blair's
first eight years in power, are also signalling their opposition to radical
public sector reform.
"The huge dent in Labour's majority and the huge number of voters staying at
home show that Britain doesn't want a Labour government pursuing Conservative
policies," said Bob Crow, head of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union.
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