What does it prove? It proves that Tony Blair and his timeservers at Millbank have nothing but contempt, not just for the Labour movement – that has been obvious for some time – but for the whole system of representation and selection in that movement. He much prefers to have an ex-Tory millionaire in parliament than to allow the ordinary process of Labour local selection to take its course. Blair believes, moreover, that the Parliamentary Labour Party is his own fiefdom and that he can and must choose the right sort of people to sit under him in parliament. It is not simply that he wants an MP for St Helens who will vote for him in the lobbies. He wants an MP for St Helens who by his past record, his wealth, his photogenic wife and children, his stately home and everything else about him, will fit the image of New Labour – the image of the smooth talking plutocrat who represents patronage, privilege and undemocratic power. Paul Foot, article ‘Election: Is This What Democracy Looks Like?’
In his speech in the House of Commons debate on war with Iraq, Tony Blair allowed himself a rather rambling excursion into what he saw as the basic reasons for the conflict. Perhaps unwittingly slapping down those of his ministerial colleagues who had likened Saddam Hussein to Hitler, he accepted that comparisons with the 1930s were not very relevant. The real battle, he said, is not between relatively rich countries, as it was then. Instead, the battle now is between civilised democracies like Britain and the United States and rogue regimes that could get control of weapons of mass destruction.
This analysis conveniently avoids the real reason for the world crisis – the growing division between rich and poor, between those who have enough money so that they enjoy democracy and those who have hardly any money, food or water, and therefore can’t. Paul Foot, article ‘Born Unfree and Unequal’
How does Tony Blair feel, therefore, as he contemplates the wreckage of the Clinton administration, the surrender of every economic and social reform, the hesitation and blind blundering which have been followed inevitably by one of the nastiest reactionary backlashes ever seen in the reactionary history of United States’ policies? Paul Foot, article ‘The Dream of Tony Blair’
A new dawn has broken has it not. Tony Blair
Globalisation has transformed our economies and our working practices. It is ... a political and security phenomenon. We are all internationalists now whether we like it or not ... We are witnessing the beginnings of a new doctrine of international community. Tony Blair, 1999
I do accept that the people want to know exactly what happened – and we will make sure that they do ... We will publish a full account of all the information we have ... We will bring together all the evidence that we have and publish it so that the people, the victims and others can see exactly what happened. Tony Blair, 14th December 2005
I feel the hand of History upon our shoulders. Tony Blair
If God forbid any terrorist act happens in the country, believe you me people are not going to be asking whether this legislation is too draconian. Whether it’s too great an incursion into people’s civil liberties. No-one’s going to be saying that to me. They’re going to be saying, ‘Are you sure it’s tough enough?’ Tony Blair, 11th March 2005
It is our destiny to lead in Europe. And Europe needs us. For we have a vision of Europe – we want a people’s Europe. Tony Blair
Our tolerance is part of what makes Britain Britain. So conform to it, or don’t come here. Tony Blair
That he has existing and active military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons which could be activated within forty-five minutes. Tony Blair, address to Parliament
That there is a threat from Saddam Hussein and from the weapons of mass destruction he’s acquired is not in doubt at all. Tony Blair, 11th March 2002, press conference with Dick Cheney
The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes. Tony Blair, Mail on Sunday 2nd October 1994
The fundamental dilemma is this: how do we reconcile liberty with security in this new world ... Let liberty at last stand up for the law-abiding citizen in this country. Tony Blair
The intelligence picture they paint is one accumulated over the last four years. It is extensive, detailed and authoritative. Tony Blair 24th September 2002, recalled House of Commons to launch the dirty dossier
There are no decisions that have been taken about military action. Tony Blair 16th July 2002
There has been a real concern on our part not to exaggerate the intelligence that we get. Tony Blair, House of Commons
They’ll get me for this [David Kelly]. Tony Blair
Those who seriously believe we cannot improve on words written for the world of 1918 when we are now in 1995 are not learning from our history but living it. Tony Blair, re proposed revision of Clause IV
Tonight, British service men and women are engaged from air, land and sea – their mission: to remove Saddam Hussein from power, and disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction. Tony Blair, televised address
We are doing everything we can to bring peace and stability to the Middle East. Tony Blair
We know that he has stockpiles of major amounts of chemical and biological weapons. (Iraq & Bio-Chemical Weapons & Blair) Tony Blair 4th April 2002
We know that these people act in the name of Islam. Tony Blair, news conference after bombings & after rozzers said in press conference they didn’t know who was responsible
We know we need strict controls in a changing world. Tony Blair
We mustn’t forget the countless death from AIDS. This is where we can learn from the Pope’s inspiring vision. Tony Blair, visit to Africa
We will confront the tyranny and dictatorships and terrorists who put our way of life at risk. Tony Blair
What is called globalisation is changing the whole nature of the nation state as power becomes more diffuse and borders more porous. Technological change is reducing the power and capacity of government to control its domestic economy free from external influence. Tony Blair
What is important is that whatever action we take, should we take action, is in accordance with international law. Tony Blair 25th July 2002
Would al Qaeda buy weapons of mass destruction if it could? Certainly. Does it have the financial resources? Probably. Would it use such weapons? Definitely. Tony Blair
We were struck by the relative thinness of the intelligence base. Lord Butler’s Inquiry into the Intelligence that led to war
Stop The Blair Rich Project. Protest banner
The worry is that New Labour, even in government, will remain imprisoned by the ideas it has learned to ape, and govern too much within the parameters laid down by its predecessors. Will Hutton, The State to Come
The last months of Tony Blair as prime minister were a frenetic time. As he was leaving he wanted his legacy to be assessed. He invited us to film his last 100 days. Will Hutton, The Last Days of Tony Blair, Channel 4 2007
Anti-social behaviour was classic territory for the Right. Blair aimed to make it work for Labour. ibid.
Acting, persuading, charming. ibid.
‘Everyone wants to be middle class; of course they do.’ ibid. Blair
He’s painted by some as a man obsessed with money. Since leaving No 10 his critics claim the former PM has cashed in on his image. The Blair Rich Project, Channel 5 2016
Has his pursuit of power and money cast a shadow over his reputation? ibid.
10 houses and 27 flats … Blair secured a £4.6 million advance on his autobiography. ibid.
Just as the London bombs in the summer of 2005 were Blair bombs, the inevitable consequence of his government’s lawless attack on Iraq, so the potential bombs in the summer of 2007 are Brown’s bombs.
Gordon Brown, Blair’s successor as prime minister, has been an unerring supporter of the unprovoked bloodbath whose victims now equal those of the Rwandan genocide, according to the American scientist who led the 2006 Johns Hopkins School of Public Health survey of civilian dead in Iraq. While Tony Blair sought to discredit this study, British government scientists secretly praised it as tried and tested and an underestimation of mortality. The under-estimation was 655,000 men, women and children. That is now approaching a million. It is the crime of the century.