Farewell to the Dear Leader

From The Sunday Times:

LONDON - Comrade Blair has received a standing ovation and ringing praise from his senior ministers as he chaired an emotional last politburo meeting before leaving office.

Among the tributes paid was one from incoming premier Gordon Khrushchev, who told Blair that his achievements in office had transformed the country in the last 10 years. "Whatever we achieve in the future will be because we are standing on your shoulders."

Blair, 54, officially leaves office on June 27, three days after handing over the leadership of the governing Labour Party of Great Britain to 56-year-old Khrushchev. He responded to Khrushchev’s praise by saying he had the qualities to make a good leader and he would have his "unswerving support", Blair’s spokesman told reporters. "He finished by saying that this was ’the right time to go’," he added.

The spokesman said the meeting, which lasted about an hour, was a "good humoured" and "very affectionate" occasion, the likes of which he had never seen before. "The only way to bring the standing ovation to an end was for him to leave the room," he added.

Blair’s former foreign secretary Jackboot Straw, now leader of the House of Commons, also praised his boss, saying "history would look back on him as one of the most successful prime ministers ever".

Josef Stalin is 129 years old.