Tony Blair

One of the Daily Mail columnists, Stephen Glover, wrote a piece today which really made me sit up. He is really shocked at the speed that Tony Blair is cashing in on his status of former PM. He is linking Blair's support of the Bush inspired war in Iraq with Blair's enhanced financial position now. He also questions how Blair arranged the loans that he needed in order to purchase the properties he wanted in central London. His reported mortgage of more than £4 million was 25 times that of the PM's salary. Can you imagine you or I trying to convince a mortgage lender that we wanted 25 times the amount of our salary? Somehow he was able to do it so what did he know that we didn't?

Now I must confess that I voted for Blair the first time round because I, like most every other floating voter, was desperate to believe his 'things can only get better' platform. I am interested in politics and during his first term of office I became increasingly frustrated that NuLab was actually NoLab. The Labour party was founded on Socialist principles which means that the electorate are represented in parliament by a party looking after their interests. I soon became convinced that Blair was not a socialist PM. His party had no real policies which benefitted the man in the street. He then began to promote legislation that was designed to keep us in our place. The police disappeared off the streets, the Civil Service was politicised, he introduced the 'Human Rights Act' and suddenly our lives were changing.

What really disturbed me though was the publicity surrounding his 'freebie' holidays and his wife's shopping antics when she travelled abroad. British Prime Ministers should not put themselves into positions where they are 'owing favours' but Blair seemed to think nothing of it.

Many years ago I was taught that if you want to know the true character of a man then take a close look at his friends. Blair was very close to people like Peter Mandelsson, David Blunkett, and Sylvio Berlusconi all of whom were accused at some time or other of lining their own pockets at public expense.

The final episode was his excuse to go to war in Iraq. I studied missiles at GCHQ for three years in the seventies and even though it has all moved on I still doubted that a country like Iraq would be in possession of a missile that could reach the UK in 45 minutes! Blimey I doubt if the Americans have got one that quick (but of course I may be out of date)! Then of course along came Professor David Kelly and the rest is history.

Since Tony Blair came to power the standards of our modern politicians have plummeted to depths which would have been unthinkable twenty years ago. The country is crumbling and personally I agree with Stephen Glover. I am of the opinion that he sold his soul to the devil some time ago and every new grasping financial position that he accumulates proves it.