Father of slain soldier plots UK “regime change”
(Reuters)

3 May 2005


SEDGEFIELD, England - Polls say Tony Blair’s Labour Party is on course to win Thursday’s election, but the father of a British soldier killed in Iraq is convinced he can bring about “regime change” in the Prime Minister’s back yard.

Reg Keys, whose son died at the hands of a mob in June 2003, is standing against Blair in his Sedgefield constituency in northeast England, arguing his son had died in an illegal war and that the premier had lied over the reasons for it.

The odds are heavily stacked against the 52-year-old retired medic, but his campaign team believes a victory—and one of the biggest shocks in British political history—is possible.

Even if Labour wins a third term in government, Blair would be out of parliament if he were to lose his local constituency.

“As time goes on, it gives me belief there could be a major political upset,” he told Reuters on board his campaign bus, a rather dilapidated double-decker usually used by sightseers.

“I feel it’s down to a two-horse race.”

Keys is one of no fewer than 14 candidates up against Blair, with most standing on anti-war platforms such as “The Blair Must Go Party” and a former topless model who changed her name to Cherri Blairout-Gilham.

The scenario suggests Keys will only attract just a portion of the anti-Blair protest votes and never enough to challenge his massive majority of almost 18,000 won in 2001.

Bookmakers offered Keys odds of 50-1 on a surprise victory when he placed a bet on himself whilst on the campaign trail.

But the fallout from Iraq could confound this, says Martin Bell, a former BBC reporter who in 1997 became the first independent candidate in 50 years to win a parliamentary seat, overturning disgraced ex-Conservative minister Neil Hamilton’s huge majority in the process.

Neck and neck?

“Our canvass returns put ourselves about even with Labour. We really do have the possibility of regime change,” said Bell, who joined Keys’ camp attired in his trademark white suit.

Along with Bell, Keys is backed by an experienced and professional team led by a former Labour member of parliament and boosted this week by the defection of a senior local official from Blair’s party, Derek Cattell.

“I was going to carry on working for Labour through gritted teeth until Reg arrived in Sedgefield,” Cattell said, adding other Labour workers had also recently defected.

But among voters on the ground the mood is unclear.

Certainly there is some disillusionment with Labour and a degree of anti-Blair sentiment.

As Keys’ campaign bus meandered its way between pretty rural villages and the bleak, terraced housing of former mining communities that make up the Sedgefield constituency, Labour posters are conspicuous by their almost complete absence.

Outside the Dun Cow Inn, where Blair took US President George W. Bush for a pub lunch during his 2003 visit, pensioner Joan Storey said she would consider backing Keys, citing the war as a very important factor.

“It was a disgrace. He should never have backed Bush,” the 65-year-old said.

Young mother Jill Anderson, 34, who works for the fire brigade, also said she was impressed by Keys.

“I shall definitely not be voting for Labour this time,” she said. “I have got no faith in Mr Blair and this government now.”

But others are apathetic or expect Blair to win comfortably.

“This area is very strong Labour. I think it’s tragic what’s happened to his (Keys’) son but he knew what he was letting himself in for when he became a professional soldier,” said taxi driver Steward Moody who will be voting for Blair.

“I didn’t hold with everything to do with the war but it’s all done now.”

And Blair’s election agent John Burton isn’t worried — yet.

“What has Reg Keys ever done for Sedgefield?” he asked when the two campaign teams bumped into each other near Blair’s constituency home.

If Keys were to perform a near miracle and win, Blair would be the first prime minister to lose his seat since Ramsay MacDonald in 1935 -- in the constituency next to Sedgefield.