There was a sharp tweet from John Lubbock earlier today:
Facebook arguments between Labour and Lib Dem members:— John Lubbock (@jwsal) May 14, 2017
Labour: 'Nick Clegg'.
Liberal: 'Tony Blair'.
Theresa May: HAHAHA 100 seat majority.
As a description of debate between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, that is accurate.
But I have the discouraging feeling that Tony Blair may be as good as it gets for the centre left. If that feeling is well founded, it means that both parties will have to come to terms with him.
At any rate, the exchange between Blair and Alastair Campbell in the video above is useful in its honesty about the problems of being in politics and being prepared to oppose the interests of big business.
And one of the few advantages of having been blogging for so long is that I can refer you to what I wrote when Blair stood down as prime minister:
Today's media consensus is that the public has undergone a long process of disillusionment with Tony Blair.
My own experience has been the reverse. When he was first elected it seemed obvious to me that he was an actor more than a statesman - and a terribly bad actor at that. All those speeches with his voice thick with unshed tears - the best known is his reaction to the death of the Princess of Wales, but there were many more - were so palpably insincere that I was convinced that the public would see through him any day.
Well, it took years to happen, and by the time it did I started to find myself with a grudging respect for his longevity and skill as a political operator. Still, I cannot pretend to be anything other than delighted that he is going.Maybe I would not have been so delighted if I had foreseen what was to follow him.
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