Deadbrain
27 Sep 2005 by Malcolm Drury
Riot police have been called to Downing Street within the last hour to deal with what one official calls "a very tense situation".
It appears that Cherie Blair, wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair, has barricaded herself in Number Ten and is refusing to leave. Ever.
The stand-off began earlier today when Mrs Blair was asked about her husband's plans to step aside as PM. "Darling, that is a long way in the future," she told the BBC. "It is too far ahead for me to even think about." However, it seems that she did indeed think about it as shortly after making the remark she was seen to leave the Labour Party conference at Brighton and rush back to Number Ten, where she threw everyone out and locked and bolted the door.
Reporters and Number Ten staff have been moved to the end of the street to avoid injury from a steady stream of cups, saucers and plates that are being hurled from an upstairs window. Chief Superintendent Douglas Ramsbottom of the Metropolitan Police said that his plan was to let the assailant, assumed to be Mrs Blair, run out of steam or crockery, whichever came first, then move in.
"What is important at present is to ensure nobody gets hurt," he said. He added that Betsy Duncan Smith, wife of former interim Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, had offered her services as a negotiator, on the grounds that she understood what Mrs Blair was going through, but he said he hoped the incident could be brought to a peaceful end before that became necessary.
Informed of the unfolding drama Mr Blair said that he fully supported his wife, as he always had done. "I am sure that she is convinced that what she is doing is the right thing to do, " he said, "and believe me, I know all about that."
He added that he will not be stepping down "just yet", as it would be in neither the party's nor the country's best interest for him to do so. He said that he had no intention of being a lame duck leader just because a number of high profile party members, including Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, have called on him to name his departure date. "The Tories have an interim leader and look where they are in the polls," he said, in a reference to Michael Howard, who said last week that he will continue as interim interim Conservative leader until a new interim leader is chosen
A grim-faced Gordon Brown, widely seen as Mr Blair's successor, had only a terse "no comment" for reporters.
Maybe it's the rent free accomodation in the heart of London, they don't want to leave behind 
