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UK's Blair faces struggle to get new laws passed
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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