Post Blair Landscape

Third place in country and battered in London - Labour revisits 2004 nightmare

· Party's showing better than some predictions
· Results revive spectre of north-south divide

Plotters move to oust Blair

· Ex-ministers tell PM to name date
· Sweeping reshuffle after polls drubbing

Blair and Brown to discuss future

Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown are to hold talks this weekend about the future direction of the Labour Party.

They come as a growing number of Labour MPs, including allies of Mr Brown, urge Mr Blair to say when he will step down.

Mr Blair overhauled his Cabinet in the wake of Labour's local election losses.

Critics say the reshuffle shows desperation but Labour chairman Hazel Blears said voters were not interested in the "froth" of internal politics.

Gordon Brown is one of the key architects of the New Labour Project so if he does become leader I don't expect much to change.

It is scary that John '85p worth is not a stash' Reid has become Home Secretary, to me he is an unreconstructed thug, which is why his post should now be called 'Minister for Squashing Dissent'.

By removing and reducing Charles Clarke to a lowly backbencher, Blair has certainly removed a possible throne contender.

One has to speculate whether Jack Straw was removed because of voicing opposition to a war with Iran, calling it 'nuts', I would not put it past Blair, who would somehow find a way to justify British invovlement in a Bush Junta folly.

Unless their is a radical shakeup in British politics we will contiue on this downward spiral.