Category: Malcolm Blair Robinson

Iraq War Inquiry So Alastair Campbell gave another bravura performance under questioning yesterday. He let through a few snippets. Secret letters from Blair to Bush making promises to back military action for example. This time, however, he did not convince the panel of inquisitors. He certainly did not convince the public, because so much of […]

Northern Ireland I suppose the time has come to deal with this. I did not go to it in my book, which is mainly about life issues in England, but this blog which roams freely in many tricky areas cannot duck its responsibility to go where many fear to tread. In my young days there […]

For the new Government Whoever heads it and whenever it comes,  new priorities emerge. The Health and Safety Act has created a farce and should be repealed and replaced with a simple law of proper maintenance and a reminder that we are all under an obligation to take reasonable care wherever we go and whatever […]

Forward Planning I am tired of seeing top people on T.V, from the Prime Minister downwards, telling us that conditions are unusually bad, everything possible is being done etc. There have been lots of meetings. Oh yes, meetings. Tonight we are told by the Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, I am a fan of his because […]

Failed Coup As bungled coups go, Hoon and Hewitt certainly earn a mention for incompetence. Bad judgement, misreading mood, disloyalty, the list is long. Oh dear. But what about the Cabinet? No marks here either. Some are loyal, some are spineless and some will back whoever is the winner. Everything hinged on the brooding Lord […]

The Battle Opens So what promises to be a long and confused election campaign has opened with losses on both sides. The Tories made new promises and cancelled old ones casting doubt on their reliability and Labour produced another of their silly dossiers, which nobody will believe. One of the papers, I think it was […]

Common View with the U.S. The anxiety in the White House and Downing St. over Yemen underlines a key element of the special relationship. Although America was traditionally opposed to the British Empire, seeing itself as having broken free from it, it has also seen itself as an inheritor of its influence and power, which […]

Yemen So, as predicted in this blog and in my book, terrorist training camps are now popping up in Yemen which now looks likely to become another centre of Al Qaeda operations. Whilst we should pay tribute to the success of intelligence and other covert counter measures against terror attacks which have kept the West […]

2010 and The Economy Happy New Year everyone!  The year just gone has been testing for most, difficult for many and tragic for some. After so much disaster and heartache, we need a better outcome for this year just begun. There are so many issues which need to move forward, but just now I want […]

Foreign Policy I simply do not know why anyone thinks David Milliband would be a good Leader of the Labour Party. Ed maybe but David no. He is one of the worst Foreign Secretaries in our history with a narrow blinkered view of the world, lacking in strategic focus and forever falling back to promote […]