“BLAIR” (Part 1) of David Aaronovitch’s Televised Documentary

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There are five videos below, which comprised the first programme in Aaronovitch’s excellent series. If I recall correctly there were three in the series. So presumably there will be a further 10 videos available on YouTube some time soon.

Comment at end

31st August, 2008

Tony Blair swept to a landslide victory in 1997, becoming, at 43, the youngest prime minister of the UK in nearly 200 years. He promised to restore trust in politics and breathe new life into Britain’s tired institutions. As he resigned as British PM, Blair and those who worked with him gave in depth interviews looking at the major events that shaped his 10 years in power.

BLAIR PART 1 (1/5) (10m 17s)

One of the most remarkable journeys in British political history.

“Discovered himself but lost the British people.”

Contents: Blair swept to power in 1997. One day after retiring, “I should be cutting down on the coffee”; He said he was happy to hand over power. Many in the country were pleased to see him go; he had been “all things to all people”; by the end his farewell speech was “a plea for understanding”; Blair: “It is very, very tough … be prepared to challenge and be prepared for the consequences. “Discovered himself but lost the British people.” ‘Authoritarian streak’ – sofa government – a sign of things to come. Equally aggressive with the media, appointing Alastair Campbell as his Press Secretary.

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Blair (Part 1) (2/5) (10:17)

“I feel the hand of history upon our shoulders”

Contents: Tensions with Brown; Frank Field “Why did he put up with Gordon?”; Blair: “the relationship between us was different from the usual prime minister & chancellor; August 1997 – Diana’s death – the People’s Princess”. He connected with people on an instinctive level; Northern Ireland – determined to get republicans & unionists to negotiate. Blair: “my friends said ” You’re completely nuts, it won’t work. They hate each other … have done for decades, centuries”. He was good at convincing all sides he was on their side; before Easter 1998 at Stormont, 7th April, Blair: “I feel the hand of history upon our shoulders”; Blair: “I am very rational … if it’s rational, then it should happen.” Bertie Ahern, Irish PM: “They realised Tony & I were not going to go away.” But Brown rivalry prevented him showing a similar decisiveness in  domestic arena. Brown was emphasising the poor, Blair was for the whole country; they clashed. Blair believed in market mechanisms. Brown and the Treasury looked on Blair and his team with disdain. Blair became increasingly frustrated with the chancellor, Gordon Brown.

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Blair (Part 1) (3/5) (10:17)

Brown to Blair, 2004: “When are you going to eff off. I want the job NOW.”

Contents: Blair found himself stymied by Brown by September 2002. His religious faith: Alastair Campbell said “We don’t do God; Sally Morgan: he hated having his integrity and motivation questioned; it got to him. Death of David Kelly; Paxman on his religious belief: “do you and Bush pray together? On Iraq, his moral certainty alarmed many – his popularity plummeted. By 2004 his hair was grey and he was tired. Brown felt his moment had arrived; “When are you going to eff off? I want the job now.”  Alastair Campbell: “He lost confidence. I was convinced he’d made his mind up to leave.” Peter Mandelson: “… going through a wobbly period”; But in summer 2004, he rallied.

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Blair (Part 1) (4/5) (10:17)

Blair: “The right thing to do”

Contents: In 2004 he rang Peter Mandelson to tell him he had made some important decisions – 1, bought an expensive house in London; 2, was about to go into hospital for a routine heart operation;  3, was going to announce that he was not going to stand for a 4th election. Mandelson thought of this last announcement – “that’s not such a brilliant idea”; but Blair did make this announcement, and in 2005 Labour won an historic 3rd term under his leadership; colleagues thought he’d serve no more than half a 3rd term and should be in control of the domestic front.  Two months after 3rd win, 7/7 bombings in London; again he showed he had not lost the populist touch and feel for the British people. Then as a result of 7/7 he wanted to bring in 90 days detention without charge; he lost the vote in parliament (the first vote he had lost in 8 years); he said it was more important to stick to one’s principles than to win; it was “the right thing to do”.  It was Blair against the world. He trusted own instincts even if all were against him. He said he criticised himself but only to say he should have listened to himself earlier; pushed through domestic reforms, education & health; Campbell: “he reached the position that what you do rather than what they say about you is important”; in 2006 Lebanon/Israel conflict – hundreds died; Blair refused to call on Israel to stop, just to keep the party happy; Jack Straw was worried because he thought, though Blair also understood this, that if we backed Israel it might not end where we thought it would end; Blair stuck to his guns; “the party was more representative of the country than I was but I felt it very, very strongly.” The “coup” followed.

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Blair (Part 1) (5/5) (10:10)

Summer 2006 – Coup. Brown ‘The Invisible Chancellor’ / Blair “didn’t want to go” (Mandelson)

Contents: Summer 2006 – coup attempt; 17 MPs wrote to Blair to ask him to resign; Blair colleague, Hilary Armstrong, clearly angry  – “none of them were contactable”. Blair’s first thoughts on coup effort – “I’m not going to put up with this”, but on reflection, Mandelson said he concluded that, “he didn’t want a scene over his departure”.  Mandelson:- “he didn’t want to go”. He had become a far better PM, and there were changes still to make, but he “wouldn’t risk bringing the house down”.  In the last three months he had become more of a healer; Back to Northern Ireland, and an historic power-sharing deal. On 27th June 2007, to the jeers of protesters, he left Downing Street for his last appearance in the Commons. Middle Easy envoy job – Blair: need to be “diplomatic with people, they have different perspectives”; feels a “sense of urgency and mission about it.” Bush: “Tony Blair understood that we are in a long ideological struggle”;  Clinton: “He deserves a lot of credit because of the leadership he’s shown on Northern Ireland/ Kosovo/debt relief for Africa. He was a  brilliant political leader and passionately committed to reform.”

Defiantly his own man to the end. He had done it HIS way.

Blair: “It has been a tremendous honour.”

His last words on the last video – “is that that then?”

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Tags: 1. Tony Blair, alastair campbell, BBC, Broadcast Outlets & Press, Bertie Ahern, Bill Clinton, Brown (Gordon Brown & his Labour Government, from June 2007), coup against Blair, David Aaranovitch, documentary, George Bush, Iraq, Middle East Envoy 5, Northern Ireland, Peter Mandelson, Princess Diana death, three general election wins