:The post-election debate over Blair's departure date was still acrimonious, prompting junior ministers to resign, etc.    

 :Yeah. He didn't really get to decide how and when to resign. He spent the first year of the term fighting off the calls for his resignation, several months fighting calls to say exactly when he would resign, and several more defending Gordon Brown (although one wonders if "great clunking fist" was ever intended as a compliment), and fighting calls for an election