Hague rounds off bad week for Blair with attack on arrogance

It has been a bad week for the British Prime Minister

It has been a bad week for the British Prime Minister. After the heckles and boos that attended his speech to the esteemed ladies of the Women's Institute (WI) on Wednesday, the next day's headlines spoke of "an extraordinary error of judgment" and Mr Blair's "biggest public relations fiasco" since becoming Prime Minister.

When the Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, delivered his keynote speech to the Welsh Conservative Party in Llandudno yesterday, there was more political "handbagging" to come.

Focusing on Europe, the economy and elitism, Mr Hague delivered a stinging attack on Mr Blair's term in office.

"Tony Blair said he was the most in touch, man of the people, politician we'd ever had, and now he is becoming seen for what he really is: the most out of touch, arrogant, opportunistic, remote Prime Minister we've ever had," Mr Hague said.

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In the wake of Mr Blair's embarrassment at the hands of the WI and the publication of a Gallup opinion poll yesterday showing Labour's ratings at their lowest since they swept to power in 1997, Mr Hague seized the opportunity to strike hard.

Paying an ironic tribute to Mr Blair for improving Conservative chances at the next election, Mr Hague said: "We can win the next general election because of the work of people like Tony Blair. Elected on a wave of euphoria and hope and trust, now he is drowning in a sea of spin, waffle and broken promises."

Senior Labour MPs have blamed Mr Blair's drubbing at the WI on the party's obsession with "spinning" over substance and the Gallup opinion poll did not make comfortable reading.

The poll was taken before the WI speech but it showed that in May, Labour's 21.1 per cent lead in the opinion poll was reduced by 6.3 per cent to 14.8 per cent when it received 47.3 per cent support, with the Conservatives on 32.5 per cent. The result has the potential for causing sleepless nights for Labour MPs when it is considered that in May last year Labour's lead on the Tories stood at 27 per cent.

Meanwhile, Europe came back to the political centre stage when the Trade and Industry Secretary, Mr Stephen Byers, made the case for Britain joining the single currency.

In a newspaper interview, he said: "We do have to be putting the case both for Europe and the Euro."

And Mr Hague also toughened his party's approach on Europe, insisting a referendum must be held whenever constitutional change was proposed.

"No government, this one or any future one," he said, "should be able to give away any more of the rights and powers of the British people to Brussels without their permission in a referendum."