The shamelessness of Tony Blair
This article in the Financial Times is eye-popping, as it goes inside what is dubbed ‘Tony Blair Inc’. Here’s once excerpt:
For a man being pitched as a potential leader for Europe, Mr Blair has spent little time in the continent since leaving Downing Street. He pops up in the most disparate of places: posing with an eco-friendly kung fu star in China; addressing star-struck businessmen in a Florida hotel; promoting tourism on the beaches of Sierra Leone; stepping out of a jet to the strut of a Kazakh honour guard.
This year alone, he has touched down in more than 20 countries, from east Asia to central Africa, often more than once. But if there is one region that best reflects his life as a public figure, fundraiser and businessman in the 28 months since leaving office, it is the Middle East.
You have to read the whole thing… makes me feel sorry for Cherie Blair I think. The Guardian is trying to crowd-source sifting through his finances.
[via Jamie K]
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Filed in: Current affairs,Party politics
Although out of the Labour Party for many years, I still keep in touch with people.
One said of Blair, two years after Blair had begun to lead Britain into one military adventure after another,
“Anyone with eyes and a brain could see that Grinning Tony Blair had 'charlatan' written all over him, but [Binky] the point was that we'd had one humiliating defeat after another and we were so sick of it that we'd have grabbed Charles Manson as Leader if we'd thought he could win.”
Some Left purists remain heroically in crank politics. This – from a deluxe crank website, WSWS – will be of interest to them:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/nov2009/serv-…
While on the subject of Grinning Tony and his legacy. This is also from WSWS and includes a fine quote from Postman Pat at the Home Office about how the piggies are keeping tabs on nasty trouble-makers and protestors :
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/oct2009/bspy-…
The other cranks 'n extremists site I recomment [other than the BNP website] is Counterpunch – a splendid Christmas Stocking full of brilliant stuff.
Replace him with Girls Aloud and the world will be more fond of us
“You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”
Tony Blair is typical of charisma vs ability. He was elected on the basis of his charisma and will be remembered on his ability.
deluded, opportunistic and pompous…wouldn't expect anything more or less from him…
I note that one of Blair's vehicles is called “Windrush Ventures Ltd”….
Hmmmm…..
Tony Blair was an excellent pm and he took more decisions right than wrong. And statistical data back me on education, devolution, health, economy, and most foreign policy decisions.
Lets have some policy discussion rather than this stupid Blair bashing – he delivered.
The only thing I find shameful is this continued Blair bashing.
Tony Blair was an excellent pm and he took more decisions right than wrong. And statistical data back me on education, devolution, health, economy, and most foreign policy decisions.
Lets have some policy discussion rather than this stupid Blair bashing – he delivered.
The only thing I find shameful is this continued Blair bashing.
“deluded, opportunistic and pompous”
Sounds more like brown, Ed balls and their fabian worshippers – Along with a bunch of know it all Journalists and opinion formers who never had to make a serious decision in their lives.
Truth and the main stream media — and the moral highground – oh please.
That is why BBC And CNN are obsessed with whether Tiger Woods had an affair. As idf nothing else is going on.
Shamit,
A few things were done right (eg devolution), but the rest was shoddily-built on a PFI (off-balance sheet) debt mountain.
Please feel free to show the stats supporting all of Blair's wonderful achievements, I'm sure they'd be very interesting to those of us who aren't slavish adherents of St. Tony?
How about starting with the rail franchises?
Then move on to the great success of his policy of introducing ever-more “consultants” into government?
Education – the joys of City Academies?
there, a few wee examples to start ye off.
(And that's without the Iraqi elephant sitting in the corner…)
His New Deals (for this that and the others) – Wrong from the outset.
Social Housing – He didn't reverse MTs policies and did nothing to elevate the real hardship this has and will continue to cause
Another couple to be getting on with …
(And still not touching the Iraqi elephant in the corner)
Shamit, are you Cherie in disguise?
Seriously, you have to distinguish between the early and later Blairs.
In the mid 1990s Blair was a brilliant politician. He (among others) figured out that if you combined a more liberal attitude to social policies while keeping the essence of Thatcherite economics intact then you had a winning combination. He was articulate, disciplined in opposition and focused on winning power.
Blair won power in 1997 but he had no idea what to do with that power. He was too lazy a politician to get involved in the details of policy formulation. That’s why so many of Labour’s policies were half-baked: nice-sounding slogans but no thought given to the practical consequences of new policies. Lots of new laws passed, but not much effort on implementing existing laws. Education, education, education anyone?
For a few years he kept Brown’s Gosplan fetishism in check, but eventually Tone went into a sulk: too lazy to offer an alternative policy vision to Brown’s but too proud to let Brown take the ‘credit’ for nu Labour’s policies.
At this point, sometime after 2001, I think Blair mentally checked out, said to himself “sod the country. I’m in it for myself†and started thinking about the best way to feather his nest. Doubtless he became jealous of his mate Bill’s speaking fees.
Blair had the biggest political mandate in a generation. But what are his lasting achievements? What did he do with this mandate, aside from landing himself some fat advisory fees from JP Morgan? In the final analysis, Blair is a vacuous shell and history will treat him harshly.
Well put Cauldron …
omg Shamit…are we talking about the same Tony Blair? and now..he's just pimping him self out to the highest bidder in order to make the maximum amount of money..very new labour…
Sofia
Yeah we are — can't help it but I do really think he is a very underrated PM on many fronts.
I am writing down some examples which just come to my mind — these are by no means exhaustive
Examples range from local governance (empowering councillors, the various programmes such as Beacon councils, bringing all local authorities around the UK to a certain standard, driving through the role of tech in delivering public services, as well as involving voluntary sector to reach out to the most vulnerable) -
— to both higher and secondary education (tutition fees, research funding as well as creating academies and the better schools for future – aiming to build Britain as a research hub and developing incubators to turn ideas to businesses — there are many now in the UK and they do excellent work)
– Look at the amount of FDI we have brought in during his tenure. UK consistently had the second largest FDI in the world. And attempting to develop a sustainable knowledge economy – and mostly we succeeded.
– Also most importantly, whether you like it or not, he made Britain relevant and a voice to be reckoned with. Look at his role in 1997 in former Yugoslavia – no one wanted to put boots on the ground (obviously, Germans and the French did the talking but no going in with arms) and even clinton wanted only airstrikes – while Muslims were being ethnically cleansed. It was Blair who said no we need to go in and played a PR coup to get US involved.
Or in sierra leone – Or in International Aid — (britian is one of the rare countries that actually keeps its pledges when it comes to aid)
(you also have to give it to the so called liberals we want the values of Universal Declaration on Human Rights to be upheld but we should have let a man who used chemical weapons to kill his own citizens (a lunatic) stay in power)
– and there are many examples.
- Also one of the reasons you hear Cameron and the Tories talk about the most vulnerable, talk about communities etc etc is because of the narrative Blair developed — that it is important to have an inclusive society. And he wanted to push class warfare into history and he almost succeeded.
Finally, a little personal experience, I was in the building when Blair was doing a programme with Jonathan Dimbleby with a full hostile crowd mostly young Muslim guys. And the crowd was hostile angry and had a lot of questions. The programme got over but Blair stayed on so did the audience and the crowd increased as everyone sort of gathered around.
Blair was there for another 2 hours almost – answered each question and stayed on till he did so. And when he got up to leave even to his surprise, the entire audience stood up and applauded him on his way out. Thats a Prime Minister who has convictions and can argue his case – and he said you don't like me throw me out of the job but s long as I am here — this is what I would do and why.
And if he is making money now good for him. I have no complaints.
Yeah like every politician who held the highest office of his/her country he made mistakes and yes he was wrong on many counts. But he was a good prime minister – and I think history would judge him well.
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It is not – yet – a caoital crime to give a link to a doubleplusungoodthinkful site here, is it?
Anyway, Bob Ainsworth blurted out that Blair lied about the Iraqi WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION:
http://bnp.org.uk/2009/12/tony-blair-lied-over-…
Ainsworth also added that not too much in the Smarts-Upstairs Department can reasonably be expected of him because he's “… only an ordinary man from a council estate…”
Shamit – I agree with you, completely. Have you signed the Ban Blair-Baiting petition yet? It's here:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/ban-blair-b…
Only to be signed by those who believe in fair play for all, including politicians. If you believe politicians, especially non-Tory ones should be hanged, drawn and quartered, don't bother to sign. The Maul … sorry, The Mail's for you.
Cauldron – what an idiotic comment! How shallow and how contrary to the evidence.
You said:
“At this point, sometime after 2001, I think Blair mentally checked out, said to himself “sod the country. I’m in it for myself†and started thinking about the best way to feather his nest. Doubtless he became jealous of his mate Bill’s speaking fees.”
If he “checked out” WHY fight to win again AND as PM the 2005 election? He may have FELT like checking out under the sustained and shameful attack by such as you and other “KNOW-ALLS”, even within his own party. But he stuck it out, didn't check out. He didn't want to leave in 2007 either, beause of fears that Brown would undo his work. No chance! Brown didn't know how to lead, and is only now learning how to present thanks to Blair's old colleagues, Mandelson & Campbell.
Blair was a GREAT prime minister. Most people who are not already convinced, will realise this as time passes.
Take care if tempted to believe this, Binky. I'm sure it's exciting for some of you, but this is The BNP!
Google it. NO reliable publication is running with it, only gullible bloggers and the said BNP-ers.
Shamit, I know they descibe him in all sorts of unflattering ways, but there is a REASON people pay to hear Blair speak. He is WORTH every penny of it.
I've seen and heard many politicians – yes and even been one once. Blair is unique and amazing to watch and listen to. He just is. Presence, style, depth and political nous. It's all there. If you haven't seen him live you will not understand. Or if you hate him, you won't accept what I say.
But I too have seen him turn a room and an audience round. I saw him in the Commons a couple of months before he left and you could have heard a pin drop. After a few dissenters tried to pin him against a wall loudly and coarsely, Blair turned the tables on them, kindly and with humour, in just a few sentences.
People should not dismiss this ability as ALL front and NOT genuine. It's pure political ability and articulacy. We see it very infrequently in politics.
And as for policy? Well, I could write a book, and perhaps will one day.
“Blair was a GREAT prime minister. Most people who are not already convinced, will realise this as time passes.”
Spot on comment blairsupporter. A few days have now passed since I made my original, hateful comments. The passage of time has indeed made me aware of what a lowly fool I was to criticise this great man, this lion, this prime minister for all the ages.
I mean, in this day and age, who would have thought to follow the practice of former prime ministers, namely staying involved in public service in some low-key advisory capacity or debating the minutae of policy in the House of Lords? And who would wish to even remain in the Commons – a drab talking shop best avoided even when in office – for even one second beyond the end of one's term as Prime Minister? Surely the good people of Sedgefield realise that this great prime minister owed them not one day of old-fashioned community service, and the nation would be better served if that great accumulated wisdom were instead put at the disposal of JP Morgan.
Once again I apologise for implying that a great orator – one who could silence politicians in a committee room no less! – might not necessarily be anything other than a deep political thinker.
I have now had the chance to review some of the actions and policies that Blair okayed during his years in power – firing Frank Field when he started thinking unthinkable thoughts about social security, PFI as an triangulated alternative to the horrors of privatisation, introducing PR in European elections, giving the green light buy to let liberalisation and self-certified mortgages, relaxing controls on chain migration, devolution, hunting for those WMDs and the rest. In each and every case, I now believe that Blair fully thought through the consequences of his policies. He must be thrilled by the consequences of his policies, such as the rise of the BNP.
Hi, can you post the link to the FT article please. Many thanks.
One can't help but think that if shoes were allowed in a Mosque it wouldn't be just words that were thrown at Mr Blair on his visit to the West Bank. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DVs5uAwhnU