Clinton gets behind Blair

2005-04-25 08:27

London - Former US president Bill Clinton on Sunday rallied in support of Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party, urging British voters to turn out in force for a May 5 general election.

Appearing on a giant screen at a Labour Party meeting in London, the former Democrat leader warned that when a country has "a progressive government in power, people get a little easily disillusioned".

"They don't like this policy or that policy. They sometimes fall into the trap of thinking it doesn't matter and there are no consequences."

"But if you believe that look at the difference in the US between now and four years ago," he said, in a reference to the election of President George W Bush, a Republican, in the United States.

Clinton's remarks were made after Blair gave a speech outlining his party's ambition to combat poverty in the developing world.

In the fight against global poverty, Clinton argued that global leadership was key to making a real difference.

"We just need leadership and Tony Blair, (Chancellor of the Exchequer) Gordon Brown and New Labour are providing that leadership," he said.

"I'm just here to say thank you, amen and go get 'em," he concluded.

In reply, Blair paid tribute to Clinton as a "fantastic friend and supporter", before quipping: "Thank heavens Michael Howard is running against me rather than Bill Clinton," referring to the leader of the main opposition Conservative Party.

Answering a question on whether Bush wanted Blair to be triumphant on May 5, White House spokesperson Scott McClellan had said earlier this month that the issue would be "decided by the people in the United Kingdom".

"We don't tend to get involved in internal political matters," he said.

"But Prime Minister Blair has been a good friend of the president and a strong ally in the war on terrorism and we appreciate the partnership that we have with Prime Minister Blair and his government."

- AFP