If it is indeed true that the Prime Minister effectively threatened to blackmail the Police - for that's what it amounts to - he has scarred his office. The Police, of course, should have called his bluff.
But beyond the political theatrics here, we mustn't miss the point - and the point is that the Police are clearly treating Tony Blair as a suspect in the inquiry. Downing Street keep briefing that he is being interviewed as a witness rather than a suspectm but this blows that statement apart.
What does it all mean? I suspect it means that no charges will be laid until the PM has departed ths scene. Perhaps he might now try to elongate his departure! A couple of days ago I watched Alastair Beaton's THE TRIAL OF TONY BLAIR. It no longer seems so fanciful, all of a sudden.
72 comments:
Either the story is bollocks - because it is not sourced to the police. Or the police are liars - because they say they do not leak.
You decide.
Blair would have had to have resigned if the Police had interviewed him under caution. So they didn’t.
Understandably, this was a story on Broadcasting House this morning. But it had disappeared by The World At One, and did not reappear on The Westminster Hour, which was largely about cricket and Coldplay.
So, has this shocking story been definitively disproved? If so, how, exactly? And if not, then why, exactly, has the BBC killed the story?
As the cliche goes, "All political careers end in failure". What a pity this did not happen here! It would have been a spectacular fall from office. And deservedly so. Could we count on him losing his pension too?
May the 5th this year is my mums 64th birthday and the day Blair is supposedly going to resign (hopefully)
The Hitch has stocked up champagne for both events and his mother can think of no better birthday treat other than to see the back of the grinning jug eared war criminal.
PS The Trial of Tony Blair was so bloody funny. Is it on Google Video yet? Almost as funny as the Blunkett Bio that Channel 4 did which showed David Blunkett shagging that publishing bird. Well done Channel 4!
Alas I do not read the Times, but surely saying Blair would resign if interviewed under caution, and Blair not being interviewed, even if the first is not a fabrication, are mutually exclusive events.
Excellent drama, The Trial of TB. Made my week. Robert Lindsay gave a stonker of performance as Blair. It didn't seem at all fanciful to me, but then I'm an anti-Iraq war protestor and have always believed that Blair would eventually be tried for his illegal conduct.
Good on you, Yates of the Yard! Auntie Flo's one of your biggest fans.
I hope that the police are simply waiting until Blair's no longer PM. Blair's fear of prosecution has to be one of the main reasons why he's still clinging by his finger nails to number 10's door knocker.
I don't know about you, but I would expect any Prime Minister suspected of wrongdoing to step down, for the extent of the investigations at least.
Ian Deans said...
I would expect any Prime Minister suspected of wrongdoing to step down
Me too, but then, like most other decent people, we believe in due process. Blair, however, not only believes that he is above the law, he believes that he IS the law. That's been one of the major fualt lines in his adminstration from from the word go.
I can't believe that I was quite impressed with him at one time. That didn't last long though - until he made that stilted, phoney speech after the sad death of Princess Diana. That's when I began to see through him and came to detest him. I never voted for him, thank God, I was a life long Liberal until quite recently.
Do you know I have never in my life voted for a party that won a general election. The Lib Dems took over my local council once and I'd voted for them. What a mess that turned out to be, they first betrayed their community politics ideals, then just rolled over and let the Labour council we'd kicked out take over. Now we've a coalition which reflects badly on all three parties.
Iain, it's quite wrong to describe Blair as a 'suspect'.
He's the INSTIGATOR, and as guilty as hell.
The Yard also made the point that it's unusual for suspects (Levy, Turner) to be kept in post, where they may repeat or cover up the crimes of which they're suspected.
(Now why would their employer - whoever he may be - want to do a thing like that??)
anon 12:55am
'surely saying Blair would resign if interviewed under caution, and Blair not being interviewed, even if the first is not a fabrication, are mutually exclusive events.'
How are things on Mars, noddle-head? Blair himself claimed he might have to resign if he was interviewed under oath, and he was interviewed, in consequence, not under caution. And refused to sign off the transcript of the tape recording, being a slick-willy lawyer with no brain.
I've been trying to equate this story of Blair refusing to be interviewed after caution, and the rights of a normal citizen and it doesn't ring true! Unless things have changed over the years and I have missed something in my long absence from the UK, there are only two forms of statement that Plod accepts. The first is as a 'Witness' and the second is as a "Suspect". I think it is fairly clear that a witness is not a suspect, so there is no official caution involved. A 'Suspect' however must automatically be cautioned if the police officer suspects, has witnessed, or has evidence that a person has committed an arrestable offence. As perverting the cause of justice carries a sentence of over 5 years, it is certainly 'arrestable'. I have no idea of the potential punishment for the cash-for-peerages offence, but I am fairly sure that it would also be 'arrestable'.
It beggars belief that Blair could possibly manipulate justice in this manner and if true, makes a total mockery of the police investigation and leads me to believe that the abuse of power and position by this snidey, creepy little man and his wife Cruella, will damage the whole of politics far into the future.
How many times do you need to be told something before it sinks in, Iain?
Immediate removal and an apology, please.
PS - Can you please respond to Ian Appleby's request for links to back up your claims? People are waiting.
Sod off Tim, you idiot!
You are truly the headlouse of the blogosphere - as unwelcome as you are persistent.
If you're unhappy about this appearance, then perhaps you will want to take it up with Iain*, who is either:
a) a nincompoop
or
b) deliberately taking the piss
(*Assuming, of course, that you're not Iain speaking anonymously in his own defence.)
Manic wishes to declare that the above comment is from him, but was not attributed due to a user error (of the 'click and run' variety).
Piss off Tim.
Get a life.
My god, you're such a twat.
Anon 1:45 ..... "Blair, however, not only believes that he is above the law, he believes that he IS the law."
Perhaps Blair thinks he's Judge Dredd!
This story is bollox, just another leak by Brown's dirty tricks brigade.
There is a another, equally significant, thread to the Telegraph story. The interview was tape recorded. Some days later Blair was sent a transcript of the tape recording and asked to agree that it was an accurate note. More than three months later he has still not done so.
No. 10's [non] explanation: "Witness statements are being drawn up in the usual way" (They do not say by whom or when they will be ready.)
Trumpeter's theory. Blair let something slip in the interview, which he regretted when he saw it in writing. Since then has simply been playing for time.
"Witnesses" can become suspects, of course, and often do, as an investigation proceeds.
Will the real Tim Ireland please stand up?
Iain Dale's Diary: the official home of Tory sock-puppets.
Like these cowards, they do not have the courage to put their names to their opinions.
We're going to have a problem here.
9:18 "Guido 2.0"
"Like these cowards, they do not have the courage to put their names to their opinions. "
Yeah, but at least we don't try and imitate a real person to try and get street-cred and look more popular.
Or try a put a picture of a filmstar on our blog posting to make ourselves look more attractive because we're too dog-ugly to use our own.
Apparently I used an image on this post which the lovely Tim Ireland created. I have removed it at his request and of course off him a fullsome apology.
Iain,
You have the patience of Griselda to allow Tim Ireland to troll around your blog spamming all the threads.
If you would only ban him many of us would cheer. His attention-seeking ways are so bloody tired.
anonymongrel @ 9:26 AM:
Yeah, but at least we don't try and imitate a real person to try and get street-cred and look more popular.
What, like Paul Staines has done?
(PS - Vivien Leigh as Blanche DuBois was chosen as an avatar after Iain threw a wobbly and declared the previous one to be 'insulting'.)
Iain:
You appear to have spent so much time perfecting your sarcasm that you forgot to mention that this isn't the first time, and that you were stupid enough to use the *same* image that got you into trouble last time. You'll be forgetting the definition of the word 'nihilism' next. Now be a good chap and provide Mr Appleby with his links.
Tim, again you try to dictate what I should do. Run along now and try and make your own blog just that little bit more entertaining. Might take you a while, but there you go.
If the person known as Mr Appleby wishes to find anything on my site I am sure he is as capable of searching, just as you are. I do not provide people with research facilities.
First a nihilist, now a dictator - flounces.
Iain, are you really this stupid?
1. You stole Manic's property. Manic has every right to dictate what you do with it. Oh, and only silly children with mouths bigger than their brains throw the 'fascist' tag about.
2. Thank you for the insult. Will you be deleting it in line with your new moderation policy?
3. As for the Appleby matter, you made a claim, so you should be prepared to back it up. It is not up to Mr Appleby to trawl through your site and find the proof you yourself should be providing.
Rather stuffs the Labour claims that it's the police who are drawing out the investigation. No surprise to see Labourites muddying this thread - true to form.
No surprise to see Labourites muddying this thread - true to form.
Praguetory, you know full well that Manic has no wish to protect Blair. Please stop suggesting otherwise.
So you admit you are muddying the thread. Would you prefer to describe yourself as a nihilist?
"Yeah, but at least we don't try and imitate a real person to try and get street-cred and look more popular.
What, like Paul Staines has done?"
Err.. ok. So you're imitating someone who is imitating a real person. Sorry, I forgot that makes you 'cool'.
And you forget, Paul Staines IS popular and widely respected.
As for you, on the other hand, everyone thinks you're a twat.
Tim, I apologised. You are never satisfied are you? I suppose your track record should have alerted me to that. There was no insult - real OR imagined. Just go away. Leave us alone. You're not wanted here. Got the message?
more vulgar than a vulcans vulva:
Paul Staines IS popular and widely respected by an unknown number of people who wish to remain anonymous.
Fixed that for you.
Oh, and please be aware that satire involves imitation, but does not equal it.
Iain:
How does this not count as an insult?
Run along now and try and make your own blog just that little bit more entertaining. Might take you a while, but there you go.
Tim, I didn't realise know that even you were that touchy. It seems to me that you can dish it out but you can't take it. As I said. Run along now.
Oh dear Lassie is getting all excited this morning isn't she. I wonder if she got permission to use the original image on Blair which she altered, I bet she didn't.
Iain, it has nothing to do with hurt feelings; it was only brought up to highlight your incredible hypocrisy.
And we both know who this best describes:
It seems to me that you can dish it out but you can't take it.
Regardless, your insincere apology is appreciated. Normally it takes a week of beating you with a stick to get even this.
Now you might want to answer Dizzy's question... or perhaps you may not...
Some of us are trying to have a sensible discussion on this page.
It's a pity we have to wade through several inches of personal vendetta from the tinfoil hat brigade.
Listen tinfoils. Nobody reads your stuff. We really, truly, sincerely, don't want to know. GO AWAY!
Iain:
Normally it is Manic's policy to ignore trolls... and even losers who only pretend to be trolls to mask the fact that they got their arse whipped. But he will answer the question with a single word: transformative.
PS - If you don't want Manic to turn up on your website, then stop stealing his images. Silly Tory.
You can't just pick and choose which policies you follow. Whatever happened to your hallowed blogger code?
hahah Lassie still doesn't get it, she still think she had me even though she said nothing of any meaning to anyone except herself.
So it's all about "transformative" is it Lassie? I think I shall now go and steal her images and trnasofrm them, I don't need her permission after all. Mind you, I won't steal the gay porn man sex she stores on her server. Not my bag you see.
Praguetory, must every comment of yours be a misleading one?
Ignoring trolls is largely a matter of personal policy... and you know full well that it is you who picks and chooses ethical policy according to their needs at the time.
If you link that frequently enough, do you think someone/anyone will give two hoots?
Lassie is having a veritable link-spamming frenzy this morning.
Seven link-spams and it's not even midday. How many click throughs from those have we attratec Lassie? What do you say? Timmy's crying because his hits aren't very high? Ah bless.
Praguetory: Unlike Iain, Manic likes to provide proof for any given claim he makes.
Now, Iain, will you be providing those links for Mr Appleby?
Mr Appleby is a very, very nice man.
PragueTory - "...anyone will give two hoots"
The "no-one cares" line is weak weak weak. Iain's built a profile as a blogger, it's only right that he should be held to account over what he does as a blogger. Either it's an "A-list of a political blog" or he's just a wannabe politician with an axe to grind. He can't have it both ways.
Iain - providing evidence for allegations is not link spamming.
Dizzy - I see you're very vocal... I can only assume you've recovered your arse from the plate on which Tim handed it to you.
**Runs through Tory insult checklist on this thread:
Fascist: Check
Gay: Check
Labour Troll: Check**
hahah yes Pete. Lassie hurt me so much with his nothing post that was the result of my deliberate baiting. Hahahah.
Now, I should add that the "gay" comment wasn't an insult it was a statement of fact. Lassie does have gay porn images on Bloggerheads, and I imagine he will admit to it too.
Your point dizzy?
I think I just stated it. He hosts gay porno images. He might be gay himself, I don't know, what he does with cock is his business. I just wouldn't dream of manipulate those images, it would just be so wrong of me.
Dizzy speaks the truth... albeit in a misleading fashion (yet again).
You can see some of Manic's 'gay porn' here, in Iain Dale the Image Thief's private collection.
Another spectacular own-goal, Dizzy. Well done.
If you want to fish Pete for me being homphobic I should remind you that I'ma Tory, and we happen to have far more outed gay men that Labour seem to. Personally I prefer hamsters and duct tape but I don't really want to talk about it.
Own goal Lassie? How so, what have you scored against me? Nothing, nothing at all. You have gay porno pictures on Bloggerheads, some quite explicit, in fact they're even mildly amusing, hence I wouldn't dream of ruining them, I will restrict myself to stealing the non man love ones.
If Iain wants Tim to go away, why is he baiting him?
Of course Lassie knows that I am only stealing them to wind her up.
The one of Bush being spit roasted by Blair and John Howard was quite funny, if not disturbing. It's just a shame the intellectual argument trying to be put forward by the image was so vaccuous. But then such is the nature of angry Lefty Indy readers like Lassie.
Dizzy
Hahaha - "How could I be homophobic? I'm a Tory".
Nice one.
Pete, I think you miss the point that we are posting on a blog belonging to an openly gay man who is a Tory, and there are bloody hundreds of gay men int he Tory Party, ranging from screaming queens to straight-looking ones. Thus to assume that because I made a point about gay porn hosted by Lassie is somehow an insult at the gayness of it all is just a little... well... a little thick actually.
Is that a blog you are running, Peteblogging? You haven't had a comment in over a week.
Having said this, if one subscribes to the wooly bollocks that is identity politics one might start thinking such things, but I imagine you're not someone that plays with that bollocks are you Pete?
comments = popularity
*check*
A nihilist describes someone with no positive vision of their own. Manic is a nihilist.
I don't get many comments. I feel depressed by it. Anyone got any lithium spare?
suitably off-topic thread this isn't it? Time to do some work and then go to a meeting.
Dizzy, you silly boy. You are clearly using speculation about someone's sex/sexuality as a weapon. (Iain is bouncing off those same comments and also using it as a weapon.)
How does Iain's being gay make this OK?
Praguetory: Are you seriously suggesting that Manic has not done anything positive for the blogging community?
You are clearly using speculation about someone's sex/sexuality as a weapon.
Bollocks.
Manic, the community leader. I am rolling on the floor laughing.
ps... Lassie's last comment was the 69th *snigger*
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