Blair “Key Figure in Middle East Talks” & En-ger-land Calling!
Comment at end
28th November, 2007
[Pic: Tony Blair with Palestinian PM Fayyad, Condoleezza Rice, Israeli Foreign Minister Livni, UN Secretary Ban ki-moon, 27th November 2007, Annapolis]
Quietly, and behind the scenes, the man his critics called the ‘limelight seeker’ has been working his diplomatic skills to bring sides together at Annapolis.
Well, didn’t we know that already?
Of course he has. That’s exactly why he was chosen as The Quartet’s envoy. Our loss - the world’s gain.
See today’s Times report, as below:
‘Tony Blair resurfaced on the international stage to plaudits yesterday as he emerged as a key figure at the Middle East peace conference.
Since standing down this year, Mr Blair has been working largely behind the scenes in the region to help to secure the peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians that eluded him during his decade in office. He was greeted by President Bush, in his opening remarks, and thanked warmly by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, for his efforts to help the Palestinians. Mr Blair embraced Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, and kissed Mr Abbas.
“He has been working non-stop in the region,” one diplomat said. “He has become one of the key figures involved in the diplomatic effort.”
Mr Blair, who heads the Middle East Quartet, made up of America, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, is primarily responsible for trying to help to build up the capacity of the Palestinian Authority (PA). He plans to host a summit in Paris next month, where he will ask foreign donors to donate hundreds of millions of pounds to bolster Palestinian institutions. Britain has already offered £250 million in the hope of securing similar pledges from Western countries and the oil-rich Gulf states.
The PA still fails to provide basic services to the Palestinian population and barely controls the West Bank. Experts believe that only when the PA can prove itself to be a viable authority, particularly in terms of providing security, will Israel believe that it has a real partner.’
So it looks like this other call to ‘No 10′ - as Chief Executive of the Football Association - might have to wait:
England Need A New No 10 - How About Tony Blair?
‘After Downing Street, the recently departed Prime Minister should move into Soho Square when the FA get rid of Brian Barwick.
‘… he has enormous skill when it comes to getting opposing factions to work together. He would, therefore, have little trouble in solving the Steven Gerrard-Frank Lampard conundrum.’
The FA’s root and branch review should begin with an analysis of who runs football in this country. Once they have realised that the men at the top are incapable, and relieved Brian Barwick of his position, a new chief executive needs to be appointed.
Football needs someone who can transform a failing organisation into a successful system fit for purpose. Someone who can motivate a party of players who have consistently underachieved. Someone who can make the nation proud of their team and someone who can make us winners on the world stage. Football needs Tony Blair.
In 1994, Blair was appointed leader of a party who had failed for 17 years, nearly as many as the England football team. Labour were unelectable and blighted by internal squabbling. Blair transformed this rabble into a smoothly run machine, loved by the public and in 1997 they stormed to a general election victory. They proceeded to dominate the Westminster division for a decade, defeating all challengers.
Education, education, education, cried Blair and that’s certainly what our young players need. Picture the scene five years from now: “We, the FA, as a party, have increased investment in our national academies at unprecedented levels. We are now reaping the rewards with more pupils graduating with the highest grades.”
Furthermore, with Blair currently presiding over Middle East negotiations, in his position as peace envoy, he has enormous skill when it comes to getting opposing factions to work together. He would, therefore, have little trouble in solving the Steven Gerrard-Frank Lampard conundrum. That leaky defence of ours would be transformed as well: “Tough on conceding goals, tough on the causes of conceding goals.”
England’s World Cup qualifying group contains three eastern European countries, a particular expertise of Blair following a successful campaign previously in the Balkans, and the similarities do not end there. The Belarus manager, Yuri Puntus, was the leader of the Iraq national team when Saddam Hussein was still at large. Blair put paid to him and could do the same to Puntus.
With Blair in charge at Soho Square, who better to manage the team than his favourite chancellor, Gordon Brown. The problem with Steve McClaren was that he was too friendly with the players. JT this, StevieG that and Becks the other. What we need is the clunking fist of the current Prime Minister – 10 years of footballing stability thanks to prudent decisions and every player doing their utmost. The FA need to make sweeping changes from the grass roots upwards and Brown clearly believes this saying: “For me there is a mission for this country moving forward – there are big long-term decisions we’ve got to take as a nation.”
Another part of the problem faced by the incumbent of Soho Square is dealing with the media. Relations between the tabloids and the England manager are often stormy but Blair and Brown know the perfect man to change that – the King of Spin. No, not Ashley Giles, but Alistair Campbell. Anyone who can make John Prescott appeal to the public would have no problem deflecting press criticism.
Many think McClaren and the England players didn’t take the European qualifiers seriously and that they no longer care about playing for the country. Blair, however, wouldn’t make the same mistake. He once said: “If there is one thing Britain should learn from the last 50 years, it is this: Europe can only get more important for us.”
Blair and Brown have done the second most difficult job in the country, now it’s time for them to step up to the dispatch box and take on the most difficult … making England a great football nation again.’
On the other hand, I can see the attraction in this for him. With a bit of luck he’d only be told to “eff off” on match dates and not regularly, as in his previous job, allegedly, from his closest colleagues.
If I were managing Mr Blair, there’d be one immediate proviso - NO G.B. - nowhere, no how!
But still, it’s the wrong number 10!
The way things are going, it might not be long before the Downing Street Number 10 recalls his number.
The more I think of it, the more I fancy this football idea …
Hmm … mm
Are you listening, Mr Blair?
Brian Barwick is the current Chief Executive of The Football Association. He has held the post since January 2005. Previously, he spent 18 years at the BBC, and was ITV’s Controller of Sport for seven years.
Born in Liverpool, Barwick gained a degree in Economics at Liverpool University.
Tags: annapolis, blair, rice, fayyad, livni, un sec ban ki-moon, football, england, chief executive,
