tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8212152.post-33679844852217589652008-03-18T19:58:00.000Z2008-03-18T19:58:00.000ZA few tears here and there, and all good fun I'm sure - but these disagreements and tiffs are unlikely to be too serious. The government is used to fighting fires, because that is what it spends the majority of its time doing.<BR/><BR/>What <I>is</I> likely to be serious is a little more than six weeks away on the 1st of May. If Labour backbenchers' worst fears are confirmed, as they look increasingly likely to be, Labour could do quite badly - certainly worse than they did in last year's elections when Blair was party leader. Labour MPs will then face an unpalatable choice: either rock the boat in the short-term to dislodge an unpopular leader, or cross their fingers and hope for something to turn up the way the Tories did in 1997 - and risk being out of power for the next 8-10 years.<BR/><BR/>Labour MPs with majorities under 4,000 or 5,000 don't really have anything to lose, while those with majorities larger than that have much to play for. Only those with 5-figure majorities will feel truly safe.<BR/><BR/>The question is, who will wield the dagger?Gooey Blobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11942258874510613070noreply@blogger.com