Tony Blair

thesquireofbanwell
thesquireofbanwell Posts: 132
edited April 2021 in The cake stop
Not that he has ever gone away, but from pontificating about the Covid vaccine a few days ago he is now spouting about Scottish devolution!
Having let the nation down with the Good Friday Agreement, The Iraq war (and WMD) and failing as a 'Special middle east envoy' (I'm sure there is more) why is the media allowing him the publicity he so desperately seeks?
I disapprove of what you say but will defend....your right to say it. Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire08 Cotic Soda-deceased!10 Bianchi 928 c2c23 Marin Nicasio2
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Comments

  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,379
    Because he has called it right more often than:
    1. Boris
    2. Dominic
    3. Boris

    (I thought Boris was significant enough to mention again)
  • womack
    womack Posts: 566
    Horrible person.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    thesquireofbanwell said:

    Not that he has ever gone away, but from pontificating about the Covid vaccine a few days ago he is now spouting about Scottish devolution!
    Having let the nation down with the Good Friday Agreement, The Iraq war (and WMD) and failing as a 'Special middle east envoy' (I'm sure there is more) why is the media allowing him the publicity he so desperately seeks?


    _
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,867
    It does intrigue me how the whole WMD has stuck as such an issue when the same people have no issue with our involvement in Afghanistan. To me our involvement in both was down to wanting to suck up to the Yanks so is this all down to the cover up being worse than the crime.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,458
    He's been a constructive voice in the Covid crisis and his analysis of the NI situation with regard to Brexit has been bang on the money, both before the referendum and since.

    His policy lead at the Tony Blair Institue @AntonSpisak is a must follow if you're interesting in Brexit at all



    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • super_davo
    super_davo Posts: 1,229
    I find it amazing that someone who won three elections, oversaw 10 years of pretty much solid growth and played a significant role in securing peace in one of the longest running conflicts in the world can be seen as such a pariah now.

    I was never a huge fan at the time but if you ask me who I would take out of Cameron, May, Johnson and Blair to lead us through Covid and the next few years it would be a no contest. Yes the Iraq war was a massive error caused by us blindly following America, but it wasn't the Brexit referendum, impossible negotiation red lines or a border down the Irish sea.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,482
    thesquireofbanwell said:

    ... why is the media allowing him the publicity he so desperately seeks?

    To answer the question, because publicity for him is publicity for them. He needs the publicity to maintain the profile required to demand 5 figure sums for giving dinner speeches.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    Most controversially, I think his hair looks OK. It's what David Gilmour would choose if he had Roger Waters' hairline.
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,867
    pblakeney said:

    thesquireofbanwell said:

    ... why is the media allowing him the publicity he so desperately seeks?

    To answer the question, because publicity for him is publicity for them. He needs the publicity to maintain the profile required to demand 5 figure sums for giving dinner speeches.
    Google the agencies that get you after dinner speakers, 5 figures will get you the Big Brother voice over man.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    He's a 6-7 figure after dinner speaker
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,482
    shirley_basso said:

    He's a 6-7 figure after dinner speaker

    Thanks for the correction. I was thinking per head.
    Ridiculous, isn't it. Muppets for paying though.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,739
    Slightly off topic. My sister (head of English at the time) had to face both Blair’s during parents evening! Quite daunting for a teacher.
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Isn't his son a bit wayward?
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    pblakeney said:

    shirley_basso said:

    He's a 6-7 figure after dinner speaker

    Thanks for the correction. I was thinking per head.
    Ridiculous, isn't it. Muppets for paying though.
    Companies pay, it's tax deductible and it guarantees good guests.

    I had claire balding once - fark me she was dull.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    kingstongraham said:

    Most controversially, I think his hair looks OK. It's what David Gilmour would choose if he had Roger Waters' hairline.

    This is a terrible take. It makes him look like Peter Stringfellow's brother.
    _
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    super_davo said:

    I find it amazing that someone who won three elections, oversaw 10 years of pretty much solid growth and played a significant role in securing peace in one of the longest running conflicts in the world can be seen as such a pariah now.

    I was never a huge fan at the time but if you ask me who I would take out of Cameron, May, Johnson and Blair to lead us through Covid and the next few years it would be a no contest. Yes the Iraq war was a massive error caused by us blindly following America, but it wasn't the Brexit referendum, impossible negotiation red lines or a border down the Irish sea.

    This.

    I think the anti rhetoric is twofold. Tory party for obvious reasons but old labour want to wreck the new Labour legacy.

    Sooner we get new, new Labour and a credible opposition the better.
    Kier is either quietly laying foundations or it’s a long way off yet.
  • skyblueamateur
    skyblueamateur Posts: 1,498
    Best Prime Minister in my life-time by a country mile

    ****dons tin hat********
  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 2,142
    thesquireofbanwell said:

    Not that he has ever gone away, but from pontificating about the Covid vaccine a few days ago he is now spouting about Scottish devolution!

    Weirdly lots of Scottish people are spouting about Scottish devolution.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    rick_chasey said:

    kingstongraham said:

    Most controversially, I think his hair looks OK. It's what David Gilmour would choose if he had Roger Waters' hairline.

    This is a terrible take. It makes him look like Peter Stringfellow's brother.
    Nah - very "I have a studio in the house, just next to the garage with my sports cars, but I don't think we'll ever get the band back together, me and Gordon just went in different directions."
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Is there something you're not telling us, Kingston?
    _
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    I miss him.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    edited April 2021
    It is remarkable how heavyweight he and Brown seem versus Cameron, May and BoJo.

    I don't think it is just time eroding the noise and leaving only the heavyweight stuff.
    _
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    kingstongraham said:

    rick_chasey said:

    kingstongraham said:

    Most controversially, I think his hair looks OK. It's what David Gilmour would choose if he had Roger Waters' hairline.

    This is a terrible take. It makes him look like Peter Stringfellow's brother.
    Nah - very "I have a studio in the house, just next to the garage with my sports cars, but I don't think we'll ever get the band back together, me and Gordon just went in different directions."

    "It's a sh** business."
    Ben

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  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 22,024
    "Ask me for my three main priorities for government and I tell you: education, education and education ." Then tuition fees and ending of grants.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 22,024
    shirley_basso said:

    pblakeney said:

    shirley_basso said:

    He's a 6-7 figure after dinner speaker

    Thanks for the correction. I was thinking per head.
    Ridiculous, isn't it. Muppets for paying though.
    Companies pay, it's tax deductible and it guarantees good guests.

    I had claire balding once - fark me she was dull.
    Corporate entertainment isn't tax deductible which is particularly painful for LLPs.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    TheBigBean said:

    shirley_basso said:

    pblakeney said:

    shirley_basso said:

    He's a 6-7 figure after dinner speaker

    Thanks for the correction. I was thinking per head.
    Ridiculous, isn't it. Muppets for paying though.
    Companies pay, it's tax deductible and it guarantees good guests.

    I had claire balding once - fark me she was dull.
    Corporate entertainment isn't tax deductible which is particularly painful for LLPs.
    I stand corrected. We just went from LLP to PLC.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 22,024
    shirley_basso said:

    TheBigBean said:

    shirley_basso said:

    pblakeney said:

    shirley_basso said:

    He's a 6-7 figure after dinner speaker

    Thanks for the correction. I was thinking per head.
    Ridiculous, isn't it. Muppets for paying though.
    Companies pay, it's tax deductible and it guarantees good guests.

    I had claire balding once - fark me she was dull.
    Corporate entertainment isn't tax deductible which is particularly painful for LLPs.
    I stand corrected. We just went from LLP to PLC.
    I should imagine that means a few former partners are happy. They could now probably afford to book their own private speaker.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    TheBigBean said:

    "Ask me for my three main priorities for government and I tell you: education, education and education ." Then tuition fees and ending of grants.


    _
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 22,024
    rick_chasey said:

    TheBigBean said:

    "Ask me for my three main priorities for government and I tell you: education, education and education ." Then tuition fees and ending of grants.


    Doesn't really change the point though does it?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    edited April 2021
    TheBigBean said:

    rick_chasey said:

    TheBigBean said:

    "Ask me for my three main priorities for government and I tell you: education, education and education ." Then tuition fees and ending of grants.


    Doesn't really change the point though does it?
    I have always had a different perspective as my mother worked for the uni as a lecturer and they were always chronically short of money, so she was broadly in favour of the fees as the education was properly suffering - whole departments shutting down despite decent student attendance etc.
    _

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