London: America's most respected newspaper and a one-time supporter of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the New York Times, now wants him to quit 10 Downing Street sooner than later.
Referring to Blair as a "lame duck" Prime Minister, the NYT said it was time for him to go - and to go soon.
In an editorial headed ‘Finished But Not Gone’ the liberal leaning newspaper has given a surprising boost to Conservative leader David Cameron, saying he strikingly resembled the early Tony Blair - "nimble persuasive, telegenic and popular".
On Blair, however, it says that, "His lustre has faded, a victim of too many years in the spotlight and too many egregious misrepresentations over Iraq.
His hold over the electorate, the Labour Party, and even his own cabinet colleagues is slipping fast. It is time for Blair to move on, preferably before the end of this year."
With the passage of time, the paper's support for Blair has wilted, especially since the exposure of bad intelligence on Iraq.
"It is time for his presumed successor Gordon Brown, to recognise that the job he has wanted so badly for so long is not merely a reward for tight lipped endurance. Mr Brown needs to start talking about domestic and foreign policies he would work for, if the Labour Party chose him as the next prime minister," the paper said.
The paper is also critical of Blair's attempts to extend his tenure, saying that it has caused tension between him and Brown and led to the creation of rival political camps.
The succession moves must begin as soon as possible to avoid further political mongering in Britain, concludes the paper.
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