Brown and Blair

According to the Guardian further tit bits from that book are to tell of a blazing row between Blair and Brown with the F word flying over Blair’s refusal to stand down early in 2006. This led to the failed coup attempt later in the year. Apparently Brown accused Blair of ruining his life.

Several points arise. First there is in my mind no doubt  that whatever deal the two reached after John Smith’s death was not stuck to by Tony in the terms understood by Gordon. We know now that Blair is a very slippery customer with messianic delusions whose word cannot be relied upon. Any man with a spark of honour would have resigned once it became apparent, with the absence of weapons of mass distraction, that he had led the country into war on a false prospectus. That he believed he was right is irrelevant. The fact is that he was wrong.

There is no doubt Brown has a temper. There is also no doubt that he had grounds to feel let down. But in the end it is water under the bridge and we have moved on. What is not in any doubt whatever is the appalling and ramshackle structure under which we are governed with our unwritten Constitution. The Prime Minister when appointed assumes all the powers of a King (or Queen – remember Thatcher’s ‘we have a grandson’) with all the Royal Perogatives in their pocket or handbag. All that is need to stay ‘on and on’ is a House of Commons controlled by the whips. The abuse of power which ensues is one from which none have been immune. The whole set-up is a cynical two fingers at the basic principles of democracy.

It has led to very bad government over a very long time. We struggle in messes entirely of our own making. There are all sorts of aspirations for the future and prim lectures to countries whom we consider fall short, but until we set our own Constitutional house on a modern democratic footing, we are not going anywhere fast and our admonisions to others will be brushed disdainfully aside.