A coffee mug held by Prime Minister Tony Blair during a
newspaper interview proved to be an appropriate prop to drive home his message about staying in
power.
Speaking with The Times at his country retreat outside London, Blair
defied growing pressure to set a date for his departure from office while
holding a blue-and-white mug bearing the characteristics of his name,
Anthony.
"Anthony, your refined inner voice drives your thoughts and deeds," it
read on one side.
"You're a man who's in charge others follow your lead. You possess
great depth and have a passionate mind. Others think you're influential
and kind."
The other side includes more quirky
and perhaps less flattering details.
The animal associated with Anthony is the Marabou, which is a large
African stork which scavenges for food. This plant associated with his
name is garlic and the color is yellow.
The name's Latin origin means "priceless one", according to the words
on the mug. Commentators saw it perhaps as a warning to critics that he is
irreplaceable.
Under the rubric personality, Anthony is described as "humble and
private, you view the world through a dreamy and reflective lens."
In the interview, Blair warned that if the party kept talking about a
change in leadership, people would think the government was paralyzed and
had run out of steam.
Blair promised after his party won an uprecedented third election in
May 2005 that he would step down before the next general election, which
must take place no later than in 2010.
His pledge has fueled endless speculation about his plans, prompting
him to say in May that he would give ample time to his chosen successor,
finance minister Gordon Brown, to settle in before the next general
election.
