Blair 'gone mad'

[Lambstales]

writes Boris Johnson.

This comment was about Blair's essay about Iraq.

I did not mention him by name, I used the term common sense politicians who said "No" (rather than the Knights who say "Ni") but I felt it was only right to mention his name when mentioning other wise heads like General Sir Michael Rose and ex-ambassador to the United States, Sir Christopher Meyer.

Thank you, Denzel, I haven't seen that one. It is currently being printed out and will be blu-tacked to my wall.

Dominic Cummings, ex adviser to Blair, who said about the "moderniser" Cameron, "he has a picture of Harold Macmillan on his wall. That's all you need to know" would find a picture of a real Conservative, Nigel Farage, on my wall!

Sorry, Dominic Cummings was ex adviser to Gove, not Blair. I do not want to spoil Dominic's reputation.

Re Blair..... in the big scheme of things, it matters not if Saddam was a good egg or not, the British people were lied to, by a dodgy dossier, that claimed with certainty Iraq could launch WMD's within several minutes, to threaten nations near and far - that were never found.

Has Blair ever admitted that, as if so, he is not on any moral high ground, and those he lied to should receive the Chilcot report (to glean the morsels from between the black redacted lines) to make our own mind up about that period in our history.

I love the Knights who say 'Ni'.

Never been keen on Sir Christopher Meyer. I heard him speak at a conference thingy. He was arrogant, tetchy and gratuitously rude to another speaker. We were all thoroughly put off.

I am surprised by that Denzel. I know that Sir Christopher is an ACDC fan and he always strikes me when I see him on TV as a very pleasant, unpretentious, unassuming ordinary type of person, but obviously a very capable and high-achieving person.

Capable and high-achieving, certainly. Sorry to say though, the word unpretentious does not spring to mind here. Still, could just have been an off day.

He was wearing very dashing bright red socks, in case that makes up for it?

what a photo image, it could have been Sinatra in one of those 'Prat Pack' pictures of years gone by. lol

I agree with Claig on Sir Chris, although I do get the impression he wouldn't suffer fools, as he saw them.

'He was wearing very dashing bright red socks'

Yes, he wears them on TV quite a lot. What was the conference and what was the subject? If it was anything to do with the "Office of Tony Blair" then I think Sir Christopher should be forgiven for having an off day. Only a superhuman or a billionaire "philanthropist" could keep it together when the "Office of Tony Blair" is mentioned.

I have plenty more, Isitmebut, if you would like? Just Google 'Nigel Farage looking stupid'. There are very many results.

Too identifying of me to tell you the conference, claig but the person he spoke rudely to is eminent, gifted and polite, also not a political figure.

It's hard to explain, it just really wasn't a context where you go at people like that, especially not an expert of that stature. It wasn't merited, no one had been rude to him, he just threw his weight about. Eminent person ignored it.

'Just Google 'Nigel Farage looking stupid'. There are very many results.'

Googled it and there were 0 results.

Am surprised at that about Sir Christopher.

'I agree with Claig on Sir Chris, although I do get the impression he wouldn't suffer fools, as he saw them.'

On the other hand, he did serve under New Labour didn't he? So maybe he dropped his standards in order to get along.

Oh you fibber! You have to choose 'Images' btw.

I think that is quite enough of these obviously photoshopped pictures created by "modernisers" in a vain attempt to make Mr Farage of the UKIP look stupid.

Meanie, I was enjoying that. OK, how about this one? I Googled 'Tony Blair looking mad'.

That is one of Blair's better photos.

'Say cheesy', Mr Blair...... a bit more white makeup, a green suit and the quote "wait 'til they gedaload of me", and it could be Jack Nicholson, as The Joker, in an early Batman.lol

Re Sir Chris and 'serving under Blair', career diplomats have to work under whatever numpty is in power - and the bigger the numpty, the more useful a bright diplomat can be in smoothing over 'misunderstandings' and maintaining the international relationship.

If memory serves, Sir Chris working in Washington, on the one hand his job benefitted from 'Yo Blair's' relationship with Bush, on the other he was kept out of the loop on vital detail.

I'll leave you to it. One of his most unflattering pictures was on the bbc on 16/6

I don’t know if anyone saw Prime Ministers Question Time yesterday, but in parliament the MP Sir Peter Tapsell, the ‘Father of the House’ (which means oldest doddering old fart in parliament) called on the back benchers to instigate Impeachment proceedings against Mr Blair to get to the truth of whether he deliberately lied to parliament to go to war with Iraq.

If I understand correctly, although not used since the early 19th century, it is possible, but not sure if this would have legs.

FYI Tapsell is now doddery, but is no fool, he was the one that tried to hold Brown to account, by getting the details of our gold reserve sales made public.

Simon Heffer in the Daily Mail write an article about it before Tapsell made his speech

"In Britain, impeachment is the process by which the House of Commons votes to have someone, usually but not inevitably a high public official, put on trial before the House of Lords for alleged crimes, or for criminally damaging the public interest.

A Select Committee of MPs draws up the evidence to take this serious step, and would provide prosecutors to pursue the case before the Lords.

A simple majority is required to convict, at which point a sentence can be passed, which could, in theory, involve Tony Blair being sent to prison.

The defendant can have his own legal representation, and the case can be presented in every bit as much detail as in a court of law.

No one has been impeached since 1806 — the last was a peer named Lord Melville, accused of misappropriating public funds from the Admiralty during the Napoleonic Wars. He was acquitted, but he never held office again.

In 1999, a Select Committee decreed the procedure was obsolete, and in a modern parliamentary democracy was unnecessary. But perhaps the allegations levelled at Mr Blair have proved them wrong."

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2659649/Impeach-Tony-Blair-As-Iraq-burns-Parliament-deluded-liar-trial-writes-SIMON-HEFFER.html#ixzz359yFH7zt

It almost seems as if some Tories are discussing this and thinking about it - probably real Tories like Daily Mail columnists such as Heffer and MPs such as Tapsell, but I'm not sure if it includes "modernisers".

Just googled more about it and found this Guardian article

"Few unbreakable rules in politics and journalism, but one is that when Simon Heffer speaks, wise types listen. This is easier on some occasions than others, for the Heff, as familiarity permits us to call him, is teller of unpalatable truths. And so yesterday, when he declared that Tony Blair must be impeached by parliament, it was inevitable that someone would do his bidding. He took us to war on a lie, said the Heff. "Impeachment is the right tool for a former prime minister accused of such behaviour." It is easier than it sounds, for conviction can be obtained by a simple majority, "at which point a sentence can be passed, which could in theory involve Tony Blair being sent to prison". This was catnip to Blair's longtime pursuer George Galloway, and yesterday the Bradford West MP began the formal process with the clerk of the Commons. A select committee must now progress the matter. The ball is rolling; does Blair have friends in the House sufficient to stop it? Already this is the stuff of history. Could anyone else have provoked a joint enterprise between George Galloway and the Heff?"

www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/18/1

'Few unbreakable rules in politics and journalism, but one is that when Simon Heffer speaks, wise types listen'

That's undoubtedly true. I always like listening to what the Heff says about "modernisers" and the politician who dared to say "No", who shall remain nameless as "modernisers" do not like him.

'does Blair have friends in the House sufficient to stop it?'

Are "modernisers" modern?