A shock parliamentary defeat for Britain's Tony Blair sparked questions on Wednesday over the prime minister's ability to govern with a reduced majority and a restive party, Reuters reported. Blair denied his authority was waning after he suffered on Tuesday his second and third defeat on a major policy issue since he came to power in 1997, with all three losses coming since he won a third term in May last year. The prime minister's spokesman acknowledged ministers had botched calculations of the size of opposition to parts of a bill to ban people from stirring up religious hatred. Analysts said the votes signalled tough times ahead for Blair, who has said he will not run for office again and whose public service reforms are opposed by many in his Labour Party. Some Labour lawmakers said the defeats showed Blair was losing what was once an iron grip on his troops. Many have a taste for revolt and have key education reforms in their sights, Reuters said. "It's becoming increasingly difficult for him to get what he wants in terms of public sector reform," said Wyn Grant, politics professor at Warwick University. Parliament's House of Commons, the lower house, refused late on Tuesday to overturn changes made by the upper house to a bill on racial and religious hatred. Despite a Labour majority of more than 60, Blair had to settle for a law that is a watered down version of his original proposals that critics said attacked freedom of speech. --more 23 13 Local Time 20 13 GMT
