This entry was posted on Monday, August 7th, 2006 at 12:31 pm and is filed under Tony 'King Blair.


Mail on Sunday – Straw sacked after ‘US expressed concern over Muslim sympathies’: George Bush put pressure on Tony Blair to sack Jack Straw as Foreign Secretary, it was claimed last night. Washington insiders said the Prime Minister was urged to oust him because of Mr Straw’s sympathy for Muslims and his highly critical view of U.S. foreign policy.

The Times – How the US fired Jack Straw: This is not entirely unprecedented, but the precedent is a bad one. In 1938 Neville Chamberlain wanted to pursue his policy of appeasement, which was opposed by the young Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden. Chamberlain conspired with the Italian Ambassador in London, Count Grandi, at a Downing Street meeting. Eden was virtually forced to resign on the appeasement issue. I do not know of any other example of a British Prime Minister allowing a foreign power, friendly or otherwise, to decide a senior Cabinet appointment.