Blair brushes off Sedgemore defection
Tony Blair today dismissed the defection of long-time Labour MP Brian Sedgemore to the Liberal Democrats.
Mr Sedgemore today launched a no-holds barred attack on the Blair leadership and urged voters to “give him a bloody nose” and vote Lib Dem on May 5th.
The 68-year-old former journalist, who was standing down at this election, was Labour MP for Luton West (1974-1979) and MP for Hackney South & Shoreditch (1983-2005).
“Tony Blair’s lies over the war on Iraq, and his careless destruction of liberty have left me disgusted with the party I joined in 1968,” he wrote in the Independent newspaper.
And he was no less complimentary about Mr Blair’s cabinet colleagues, dismissing Charles Clarke as “a bit of a chump”, Jack Straw as “simply not up to the job” and Gordon Brown as possessing “massive intellect but no backbone”.
Fielding off questions at a press conference on education this morning, the Prime Minister played down the defection, saying: “What he does is up to him. He’s not even a candidate at the election.”
Mr Blair said it was necessary to “make the issues the heart of this election campaign”, adding: “Debate of one individual’s political preference should not detract from that at all.”
A jubilant Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy explained that Mr Sedgemore had voted with them on an array of issues such as Iraq, foundation hospitals, top-up fees and anti-terror laws.
“It is therefore not surprising that he finds himself at this election in greater sympathy with Liberal Democrat policies rather than those of Tony Blair’s Labour party,” he said.
Mr Kennedy added: “At this election, the only party which has taken principled stands on these issues is the Liberal Democrats.
“They should follow their beliefs and vote Liberal Democrat – certain in the knowledge that however they vote, Michael Howard’s Conservatives cannot win this election.”
The Conservatives also wasted no time in using the defection for political gain, although they disputed his message that dissatisfied Labour voters should vote Lib Dem.
“I share [Mr Sedgemore’s] contempt for the way in which Mr Blair has treated the people of this country and the way in which he misrepresented the facts for example over the war on Iraq and other issues,” said Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
“But actually if you want to get rid of Mr Blair there is only one way to do it and that is to vote Conservative.”
