Iraq War Brings ‘Historic Defeat’ to Blair

The Labor Party (26 percent) placed third behind the opposition Conservative Party (38 percent) and the Liberal Democrats (30 percent) according to preliminary results. Labor lost 388 municipal seats as it slumped to its worst performance in history.

Conservative Party leader Michael Howard described the outcome as ‘perfect’. "Our entire goal is to have the power again and set our country back on track."

Many people attribute Britons’ dissatisfaction with Blair’s Iraq policy as the reason behind the Labor Party’s fall from grace. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and the Minister of Internal Affairs David Blunkett admitted that the elections hurt them.

The official results of both the local elections and the European Parliament elections, which will be announced tomorrow, are expected to increase speculation about Blair’s leadership. Some experts, however, feel that even though the public expressed their anger in the local elections, Blair could still lead Labor to victory in the 2005 elections.

Meanwhile, political critics described Labor Party’s losses in Bassetlaw, Burnley, St. Halens, Oxford, Ipswich, Swansea and Hasting as a ‘surprise’. Likewise, the Conservative Party’s victories in Trafford, Tamworth, Swindon, Berntwood, Rossandale, Worthing and Eastbourne were unexpected.

Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who also supported the American policies in Iraq, had been dealt a similar defeat during Spain’s March 14 general elections. Aznar’s loss at the hands of the Socialist Labor Party had been linked to his full alliance with the U.S. in Iraq as well as the bloody terror attacks in Madrid in March 11.