Now Chilcot gets the blame...

Channel 4 trailing their seven o'clock news tonight with the (bad) taster '...did the Chilcott inquisitors finally prove they are not up to the job?'

They are disappointed of course that a distinguished Iraq War inquiry panel apparently failed to land a finger on Tony Blair in his six? hours of evidence.

From what I saw, Blair showed today what I've always believed: he's not a liar and made a difficult decision based on the facts presented to him - a decision backed by the first-ever vote in the House of Commons to send British fighting troops.

Wouldn't be surprised to hear calls for ANOTHER enquiry into the Iraq war, even before Chilcott reports. And then another one after that if the next one doesn't come up with the answers some people and some media seem to demand.

Seems to me there's been more official enquiries and more public scrutiny of the decision to take on the evil murdering tyrant Saddam Hussain - who used WMD on his own people - than any other conflict in history

That includes two world wars and, incidentally, the 1980s Falklands War, which I recall happened after Margaret Thatcher sold off our ice-ships and gave the Argentinians all the signals that we'd take no action to defend the Falklands - in contrast to a few years earlier when then Labour PM Jim Callaghan sent a much tougher signal to warn off General Galtieri...

UPDATE: The 2010 Question: Tony Blair put his decision to deal with Saddam Hussain in 2003 in clear perspective today when he suggested his critics should think about the 2010 question rather than the 2003 question...

What do you think the monster Saddam Hussain would be doing today if Tony Blair had lost his nerve and not taken the action he did?

Historic day and another one for the album...

 

Thanks to a colleague for sending this snap of me congratulating Gordon Brown moments after he succeeded Tony Blair as Leader of the Labour Party.

Gordon clearly demonstrated in his acceptance speech that he is the best person by miles to take our country forward - and how the choice at the next General Election will be substance for the many with Gordon or Cameron's spin, PR and flip-floppery.

The next ten years start right here...

(with apologies for layout, as posting away from home on an unfamiliar computer!)

Cameron exposed as weak, out of touch and as relevant as Demosthenes...

Eton-educated David Cameron showed how in touch he is with modern Britain by claiming Labour's Deputy Leadership contest made John Prescott look like a cross between Ernie Bevin and Demosthenes...

Most MPs at Prime Ministers Questions had the same response as me: Er, Demos who?

Ernest Bevin of course was a moderate trade union leader who became Labour statesman - best known for his contribution to the wartime coalition government when he formed the Bevin Boys to mine the coal which powered Britain's war effort.

I'm afraid I didn't go to Eton: and unfortunately the Robert Pattinson Secondary Modern School failed to familiarise me with Demosthenes...

I'm clearly not alone...Even the Tory benches looked totally gobsmacked when Cameron alluded to Demosthenes. But for anyone who needs to swot up on who he was, you can find him HERE.

The PM brought Cameron back to earth by letting him know that Labour will have a new leader in Gordon Brown who is strong - unlike the Tories whose 'Leader' bears the imprint of the last person who sat on him...

Tony Blair mocked the fifth Tory Leader he has taken on with the words:

I might remind you of what you said when you ran for leader: 'Consistency in politics is vital' - and you then proclaimed your support for grammar schools and selection!

Rather than you worry about our deputy leadership campaign, I think you should worry about your own leadership.

The BBC’s Political Editor, Nick Robinson, noted after PMQs that Cameron’s biggest problem was that he’d been exposed as being weak.

By the way, as if you didn't know, that's Demosthenes in his glory on the right, not to be confused with Ernie Bevin on the left...

Three cheers for Blair's speech on the feral beast that is our media...

Tomorrow's papers will no doubt rip into Tony Blair for describing our national media as 'a feral beast tearing people and reputations to bits'.

But I believe it's a thoughtful speech well-worthy of serious consideration and debate.

The full text is at epolitix.com.

The Prime Minister argues that modern journalism no longer reports the facts but instead relentlessly mixes up comment with news. He singled out the Independent for particular criticism, saying it had become a 'viewspaper' rather than a 'newspaper' worthy of its name.

He concludes that the relationship between public life and our media needs urgent repair to prevent it sapping the nation's confidence and self-belief.

As a former journalist who was trained over 30 years ago (call me poacher turned gamekeeper if you will...) I'm often appalled at generally falling standards of today's national media - and not just the so-called red-tops.

So I'm chuffed that the Prime Minister today said what surely needed saying.

It's certainly not the kind of speech any incoming Prime Minister could sensibly risk delivering.

But given his 13-years in the firing line, he knows what he's taking about.

I hope the media tries at least to give his words a fair hearing...and think about changing their ways!

Tory praise for Blair's foreign policy principles...

Leading Tory blogger Tim Mongomerie of Conservative Home - said to be the unofficial home of Conservative grassroots - writes in praise of Tony Blair's foreign policy principles which he says must not be lost when he leaves office.

Britain's better with Blair...

An absolute privilege for my wife Gill and myself to have been at Trimdon Labour Club yesterday to hear Tony Blair's announcement that he will step down as Prime Minister next month.

Many friends have been phoning and emailing to say they've seen my ugly mug in some of the media coverage including on Sky News and on the front page of the Daily Telegraph!

This wonderful image which has gone round the world was taken inside the event by Owen Hargreaves of the Press Association.

(Looking at the pic, I'm the happy clapper immediately to the left of the red Labour backdrop: Gill's in green, second row!)

It was, as reported, an emotional occasion, for the Prime Minister and his wife, and also for the warm-hearted members of Sedgefield Labour Party who have backed Tony Blair for almost a quarter of a century.

But it was also very moving for myself and others who have worked as Labour Party staff through the Blair Years start to finish.

I even detected a tear or two among some of the hardened press corps who have followed Blair throughout his political career.

Of course, it all began 24 years ago in Trimdon. So it was fitting that he should return there for his big announcement yesterday.

For me, his arrival and departure yesterday was reminiscent of the amazing event in Downing Street on that historic new dawn on Friday, 2 May 1997 which is often re-broadcast.

Britain has become better under his leadership. No more boom and bust. More jobs, more police, more doctors, more teachers: We no longer have an NHS on the point of collapse, schools no longer forced to put buckets out when it rains, more help for families, millions of pensioners and children lifted out of poverty...

And so much more.

That's Blair's legacy.

It was good to see him go out in style, not forced out of Downing Street in tears - as was Margaret Thatcher's fate.

A historic day indeed.

Let's hope Mr Blair gets the message...

The Tories in Croydon turned a local council by-election last week into a referendum on the Prime Minister.

In a ward called Bensham Manor (no less), the Tories campaigned with the catchy slogan: Send a message to Mr Blair!

The result announced Thursday night was a sizable 10% swing...to er, Labour. The sensible voters of Bensham Manor gave the Tories a well-deserved thrashing.

A message then for Mr Cameron..?