Blair's memoirs risk harming party: reports

Blair's memoirs concern more than just affairs of state — Britain's ex-premier also gives intimate details about his wife and describes the sexual shenanigans of other politicians.

In “A Journey,” Blair writes candidly of his “animal” feelings for his wife Cherie one night when he was on the brink of going for the leadership of the Labour party after the death of incumbent John Brown in 1994.

“That night she cradled me in her arms and soothed me; told me what I needed to be told; strengthened me; made me feel that what I was about to do was right,” Blair writes of Cherie, with whom he now has four children.

“On that night of 12 May 1994, I needed that love Cherie gave me, selfishly. I devoured it to give me strength, I was an animal following my instinct, knowing I would need every ounce of emotional power and resilience to cope with what lay ahead.”

The personal details and indiscreet remarks contained in “A Journey” — including Blair's admission that he used alcohol as a “prop” and details of his sex life — raised eyebrows among commentators after its publication Wednesday.

The Guardian newspaper was not alone in calling the book “extraordinary”, and publishers have predicted that it will be a sell-out.

But observers warned that in laying bare the enmity between Blair and his long-serving finance minister, one-time friend and successor Gordon Brown, the former prime minister did his party a disservice.

The Times said the book sets a major challenge for those currently vying to succeed Brown as the new leader of the Labour party, which was ousted in May elections after 13 years in power.

“The philosophical difference that emerged between Blair and Brown — essentially a dispute about the size and role of the state — traces the lineaments of the battle between Old and New Labour that brought both of them to public attention,” the center-right newspaper said in an editorial.

“This is a question that the Labour Party has yet to settle.”

The Labour-supporting Daily Mirror paper also accused Blair of “reopening old wounds”, saying: “Tony Blair gave the Labour party many things to be grateful for — but his memoirs aren't one of them.”

The main contenders for the Labour leadership swiftly distanced themselves from the former prime minister, insisting he no longer dictated their future.

A chief criticism in the newspapers Thursday was that while Blair attacked Brown throughout the book, he never really explained why he allowed his chancellor of the exchequer to stay in his job.

The Conservative-supporting Daily Telegraph said the book represents “Mr. Blair's belated revenge for the manner in which his chancellor thwarted much that he would like to have achieved, before destroying his residual legacy”.

Blair was Labour prime minister from 1997 to 2007, and was replaced by Brown, who lost power in May's election.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email