Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog

The Prime Minister Tony Blair will be interviewed by  John Humphrys on the Today Programme in a few minutes.

I'll live blog it here, refresh the article to see the updates.


8.10 TB in a surgery in Sedgefield. JH says "We can't go on like this", TB says let the investigation run its course. Explains how his day doesn't touch Cash for Peerages much.

8.12 TB, "When it is over I'll be happy to answer questions on it"

8.14 TB "The relationship between politics and the modern media is a study all in itself".

8.15 JH suggests TB can go next week.

8.16 Reiterates there's certain things he wants to finish.

8.16 JH 10 years ago you said, "people think I'm a pretty straight kind of guy" - TB "I thought you were going to ask me that"... "I'm not going to beg for my character - plead for my integrity".

8.18 NHS funding. JH "Shouldn't you have made the machine run properly first and then pump the money in?" TB, "We've done both together". Improvements in cancer services, cardiac care. Invoked letters from people whose relatives had died waiting for treatment. A&E services are transformed, "People used to wait for days on trolleys".

8.22 TB If politicians got the same satisfaction ratings as GPs we'd be very pleased.

8.23 "The traditional methods of productivity don't take into account the improvements in service". Productivity in the NHS has improved if you include outcomes.

8.25 TB defends reorganisations as unsurprising. JH "What you did was throw money at it"

8.26 JH "Social mobility has declined - that's a terrible thing to say about a Labour government" TB, "There is an issue about services for the very poorest" says though educational opportunities - the city academy programme - that we'll improve this.

8.27 JH quotes Alan Milburn saying it's not possible for a young working class person to rise in 20 years to be in the cabinet. (bollocks)

8.29 TB - In the next few months we will target the socially excluded. It's a different problem from when Alan Milburn was growing up when the working class was a bigger thing

8.30 TB - we won't end poverty by clobbering the wealth creators

8.31 JH - "Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" "When you said that, did you envisage a Home Office not fit for purpose ten years on?"

8.32 TB Crime down (JH - Violent street crime up) Immigration system sorted, tackling ASB, built 20,000 prison places.

8.34 JH What's gone wrong since 1997? People are disaffected with politics now. How much are you to blame for it? TB, There's an issue about how media interacts with politics JH, But you're the spinner TB You say that as though it's a fact JH, It is

8.36 TB - The country is transformed, Health transformed, Education transformed, Pensioners lifted out of poverty. It's the nature of the business, you can't please all the people all the time. "The only times I ever find it difficult is when I think I've done the wrong thing - when instead of doing what I think is right, I have instead done what is easy", "If you told me 10 years ago what would be the facts about the country, I think I'd have bitten your arm off for that".

8.38 JH. We'll talk about Iraq in the next interview

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Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#1)

Tony,  just go. Neil Kinnock knew when the gane was up. Now he's denouncing  you on the telly.If any  of you read Austin Mitchell's piece in the Indy yesterday I hope you were similarly appalled at what "our" Govt is doing in the name of cheap Sun headlines.This really is the nadir  of New labour

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#3)

Who is interested in Neil Kinnock?  I could not see Tony Blair agreeing to a film or performing at a conference so close to an election shouting "are you alright".  Factors which in my opinion cost the Labour Party an election. Many of my friends at the time would not vote because of these performances. You will appreciate therefore that any comment made by the same man today does not hold any sway over me!  Austin Mitchell is a joke and should be retired. He has always held a grievance against Tony Blair because the PM does not concur with Austin Mitchell's views of how the Labour Party should operate in government. The great British public are not too interested in these two commentators - the media are interested in anyone who seeks to undermine the PM and Labour government.  

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#8)

Austin Mitchell was writing about the disgusting treatment of a family of asylum seekers in his constituency.  Not a joke at all; a man doing his job, with a lot of passion and anger.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#13)

But the interesting thing about Kinnock's comments is that he has been loyal to Tony Blair for a long while. It's only recently that his paitence (like others inc myself within the Party) has started wearing thin

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#19)

130  dead  tonight thanks  to bomb in Baghdad. Still  proud of Tony, Liz?

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#5)

As opposed to cheap Indy headlines!

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#23)

Neil Kinnock did not criticise Blair, quite the opposite.

He stated - and quite rightly - that the so-called "Cash for peerages" affair was having a corrosive effect on politics as a whole. He did not apportion blame.

Indeed, he believes that history will be kind to Blair. And that current criticism is in part unfair, given the amazing difference he has made to the country.

Why don't you actually watch the interview, before you start quoting from it?

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#2)

Well done PM.  You were right not to have to defend your character to any journalist - heaven forbid.  Neither should you leave until a time suitable for you.  After all we voted for you to serve a full term and many of us are unhappy that you are going earlier.  Many of us do not believe you are dishonest, corrupt and have implemented policy to our disadvantage. Many of us credit you with having a Labour Government in power for three terms - only you could have achieved this as it was you that attracted Middle England voters.  I do not see your successor having the same success - policy matters but importantly so do the personal qualities of party leaders. Many of us like you.......

People are fed up with politics because  journalists are determined to undermine the political process.  It is quite awful how political journalists question you at your monthly press conference.  Yes you are the PM and must be accountable but it is outrageous the rudeness and arrogance of many.  John Humphrey's mentioned spin. What a laugh.  Just read the right wing press or some political commentator's analysis of some of your speeches.   I sometimes can hardly believe that I have listened to the same speech!

We shall miss you and politics will not be the same for years to come.  Who will be next for the media's attention?

   

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#4)

The game's up, Tony. It was good while it lasted, but the game's up.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#6)

I suppose TB sees this sort of thing as a bit of light relief in between interviews with Yates of the Yard.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#7)

How many hundreds of Labour councillors are we going to lose over the vanity of T. Blair?

I note that Hattersley is calling on Prescott to have a chat with Blair and tell him his time has come.

Can we really face 5 more months of this stuff?

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#9)

Hang on in there Tony!!!

The comments of shameful opportunists really shouldn't matter.

He must get on with his job, and see it through.

He's done a fantastic job, and deserves more credit than he received. Hopefully when the dust settles, he will get the recognition he deserves.

Its ironic how many of the people that have helped force him out now desperately need him to stay and cover their asses when Labour probably loses big at this years elections.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#11)

Neil  Kinnock and Roy Hattersley are hardly "shameful  opportunists." They led the Party through the Thatcher years, made  us electable, and should be respected, not sneered at. In 1992  we actually got  more votes than we did in 2005. The person  who  called Austin Mitchell a "joke" should  have read  his excellent  article in the Independent but I suspect there wouldn't be  much point.She wrote elsewhere that Blair  made the right decison in speaking to the CBI rather than leading the Iraq  debate.I've   just been listening to Blair's speech at  today's National Policy Forum. He has totally lost it. Thousands of councillors  will lose their seats if he hangs  on till July but, hey, he's  going to weather the storm..Wonderful - NOT. I wonder  if those of you still  banging  on about  how great Blair is will be so pleased with yourselvs then.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#21)

Yes I am a joke - one of those silly people who has supported the Labour Party for forty years and listened and read every political statement by leaders - still do.  (Once Hansard read in a library - now read online!).   Roy Hattersley loathes Tony Blair - always has done.   Neil Kinnock did much to reform the Labour Party and increase the votes.   However, the self destruct button in the Tory Party (similar to what is happening now to the Labour Party) played a significant part in increasing the vote at that time.   Both of these men do not have to make decisions over governance and assume because of age(don't I know it) that their contributions are valued.   I am personally not interested in what they think and should be able to say so.

Sorry if you feel that talking about NHS provision is unimportant - that is what the CBI debate was about.  I also watched the debate on Iraq - learnt nothing there as I knew the view of the speakers.  I did however learn from what was said at the CBI particularly related to primary care.  As always, the PM had the pulse of the nation in his contribution to the debate.

I am aware of the case mentioned by Austin Mitchell and read the article as well as listened to an interview with the family etc.  I live in the same TV area as Mr Mitchell.  I do always have sympathy for individual cases.  I am sure you will accept that we have a policy to deal with such issues and that staff who work in the Department are not uncaring.  In the past year there has been at least a dozen such cases -  which were very distressing that I have been made aware of.

We will have to agree to disagree.  I do not see Gordon Brown as the saviour of the Labour Party and regrettably many of my friends will switch parties once Tony Blair leaves office.  A reminder of course of how much Tony Blair has done for the party and country when he managed to get the votes of so many people in middle England.  It was such votes that returned a Labour Government on three successful elections.  The inward party and continual drip feeding to the media by opponents of the PM will lose Labour the next election.  Disloyalty has always been punished by the electorate.

Finally, I make no apology for being a supporter of the PM.  He has many friends........

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#27)

Well said Liz.

I too make no apology. I am very proud to support Tony Blair. He has been a fantastic leader of both party and country and will be deeply missed when he departs.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#32)

Thank you  very much Loz.  I share your sentiment a lot and get really upset when I read unjustified criticism.   He will be missed........

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#12)

Neil  Kinnock and Roy Hattersley are hardly "shameful  opportunists." They led the Party through the Thatcher years, made  us electable, and should be respected, not sneered at. In 1992  we actually got  more votes than we did in 2005. The person  who  called Austin Mitchell a "joke" should  have read  his excellent  article in the Independent but I suspect there wouldn't be  much point.She wrote elsewhere that Blair  made the right decison in speaking to the CBI rather than leading the Iraq  debate.I've   just been listening to Blair's speech at  today's National Policy Forum. He has totally lost it. Thousands of councillors  will lose their seats if he hangs  on till July but, hey, he's  going to weather the storm..Wonderful - NOT. I wonder  if those of you still  banging  on about  how great Blair is will be so pleased with yourselvs then.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#14)

And you seriously don't believe they are heading for a hiding anyway? I think its you thats lost it mate.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#15)

Ues  they are heading  for a hiding anyway.Largely because of Blair and his reedundant Mew Labour policies.But it will be far worse if he stays, which  he probably will.So we're stuffed.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#17)

I certainly don't think its fair to call new labour policy reedundant.

The trouble consists of the perception of scandal and incomeptence coupled with iraq.
 

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#22)

They certainly brought about changes and Kinnock bravely took on Militant. But they certainly did not make us electable. That credit has to go to Blair and new Labour.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#24)

So I hope  he will take the rap for losing us  votes in May. As Jon Cruddas said this morning, it's time to move  on.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#25)

Thats why I want him to hang on until June!. Even if he were to go tomorrow, Labour would still not be able to recover by May. Iraq is firmly embedded in the populace's mind. In his first hundred days Gordon has to pledge that all our troops will be back by Xmas, come what may.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#26)

He won't do that.  Vote for John McDonnell.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#28)

Of course comments by people like Crudas are really helping matter aren't they?

I mean running election campaigns before the starting gun has even been fired is a sure way to portray the party in the best light?

People like him are politics into American style politics.

Campaigning even just after elections for the next one.

A good reason why voters are even more disinterested and sceptical over there. I think we're better than that.

He's not helping matters, he's a self serving opportunist and I sincerely hope he loses. I am confident that he will thankfully. And for the record I don't even know a great deal of his policy. So thats not an issue. I wouldn't change what I said even if he and I were political twins. He is doing a diservice to the party and thinking only of himself and his own ambitions.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#30)

one thing he is raising is that the DPM and DL roles don't necessarily have to be the same. I think that the Chair of the Party should be elected by the whole membership OMOV and not appointed by the PM. Of course the DPM should be in the gift of the PM since he will be working handin glove with him in Cabinet and will sub foe him when away. I am leaning towards Crudas because there aren't any woman of the calibre of Glenda Jackson or Joan Ruddock to take on the role of DL/DPM

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#31)

This isn't intended to particularly be a pro-Cruddas point, just a pro- having a debate point.  We're know there's an election coming up, for two positions.  The people who have declared themselves as candidates make campaign statements every time they open their mouths, and those who are in the Cabinet get a big audience.  People like Brown for the leadership, or the whole gang of them for the deputy can make speeches vaguely in their area and we all know that they are actually part of their election campaign.  They'ave all been making speeches ranging massively outside their portfolios.  Now there are candidates - or prospective candidates - for both the leadership and the deputy leadership who are outside the cabinet and when they want to join in this campaign and this debate they have to make it clear why they're doing it or nobody would listen to them.

What is incredibly important at this time is that there isn't some cozy 'smooth' transition where we collectively stick our heads in the sand and pretend everything's just peachy.  There is a wealth of experience and skill in our party, here is an opportunity to use it and have a proper discussion about the future.  The election campaign has been on since the two moments where first Blair and then Prescott said they would be standing down, and you can't wish that campaign away.  The answer is not to ignore it or to deplore it, but to welcome it, engage in it: if we are comradely and concentrate on issues and not personality, it could be a good way to improve our public image.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#33)

Agree with you again Loz.  I will never vote for him and totally disagree with his strategy to win support.   What with his contribution, Peter Hains campaign strategy document being posted on blogs as well as his departure from policy,  we are not doing well.   Self serving the both of them - they will not win as we are not fools.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#10)

the thought of Hattersley telling anyone to do anything is a laugh.

When he was Deputy Leader he spent his time writing his potboilers and his Guardian columns instead of working for the Party. A man earning around £250,000 a year, yet no mention in the Party's accounts of donations.

I don't think we need take him to seriously.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#16)

Hattersley, the unknown Deputy Leader of the Party, who deserves to remain unknown.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#18)

what's  that supposed to mean? Hattersley is a decent , old-fashioned social democrat. He used to be regarded  as being  on the right. Until the  interlopers  moved in.He is hardly "unknown." You are  talking  nonsense.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#20)

Perhaps if Neil Kinnock and Roy Hattersley actually won an election for us, I'd care what they have to say.

Blair has done nothing wrong and he's going in six months anyway, so why bother rushing? It's not as if we've got a young, exciting, dynamic leader-in-waiting is it?

Keep hanging on Tony.

Re: Blair on Today Programme: Liveblog (#29)

Exactly.

It just goes to show that the decisions he made to announce he was stepping down was the right one.

These people would have never been satisfied and I fear if he hadn't, he'd have been forced out Thatcher style by now.

At least now he has relative control of his own destiny and is showing that even in the face of a media supported coup, he is a leader getting on with the jon and leaving the children to fight amongst themselves.