The government of the United Kingdom has pulled off one of the great political con jobs, writes David Ritter from London.
Tony Blair
Tony Blair’s obsession with bringing home the bacon
Startling revelations have emerged that former British PM Tony Blair met with Colonel Gaddafi to pursue business interests not once, twice, but six times since leaving politics, reports Stephen Glover.
Guy Rundle: Red Ed’s new capitalism — it’s not easy being green
Grinning, young, confident, Labour leader Ed Miliband strode across the vast forecourt of the Liverpool Conference Centre, towards a date with destiny — his first leader’s speech to the party conference.
Guy Rundle: Rupe’s Jordan dip shrouded in revelation
Rupert Murdoch’s identification as a Christian to varying degrees, and in varying contexts, has been going on for years. But the banks of the Jordan is summat else.
Media briefs: CMail’s Bligh blight … balancing 9/11 … papers v World Cup …
In today’s Media Briefs: The Courier’s Bligh blight, Front Page of the Day, media strive to cover 9/11, Fairfax to dodge Rubgy World Cup bans and more …
Crikey Says: Crikey says: nothing to see here
Buried in the glossy pages of the October edition of UK Vogue is the revelation, mid way through an interview with Wendi Deng, that former British PM Tony Blair is godfather to Rupert and Wendi’s daughter Grace.
Guy Rundle: Rundle: UK riots were a genuine community event
It’s clear, from the people who are being charged, that rioters came from every social dimension of the areas where things kicked off. If it was hoodies that dominated the TV images, it was “good kids” who were getting into it as well, and quite spontaneously it would appear
Blair, Murdoch and the Iraq war — a study of power
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s first comments about Murdoch yesterday were quite pathetic. If David Cameron is being subjected to enormous scrutiny over his dealings with Murdoch then so should Blair, Gordon Brown and John Major.
Media briefs: Dumbing down your fault … Middleton phones hacked
Walkley Award-winning inquisitor and A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw has, to her credit, stood up for dumbing down early-evening television. Plus other media news of the day.
Rundle: deconstructing Gaddafi from the left and right
By now, as the revolution in Libya overtakes all the Arabian uprisings so far in its importance and power, it has presented both right and left in the West with a dual challenge — the politics of military support and intervention.
Speakers’ circuit specials: $1m buys you Tony Blair, $5k gets Tania Zaetta
Away from the international glitz and glamour instilled by former leaders, the local speakers circuit remains solid, writes Andrew Crook.
Richardson: one cheer for American imperialism
There’s been a lot of soul-searching in the West over the past few days about the warmth of its recent rapprochement with Colonel Gaddafi.
Lest we forget
London’s Daily Mail has not pulled any punches in remembering the way that Tony Blair’s Labor Government treated the Libya of dictator Colonel Gaddafi, writes Richard Farmer.
Rupert’s going to war … and he’s taking Blair with him
Rupert Murdoch, I hear, is on the phone again. He’s annoyed by the way the phone hacking scandal has been dealt with by James and his No.2, Rebekah Brooks, writes Michael Wolff .
Grog’s Gamut: why the Blair book leaves me cold
Grog’s Gamut explains why offering a free copy of the Tony Blair autobiography is a disincentive to subscribe to Crikey. And it’s not just his attitude towards the Iraq War (but that certainly didn’t help).
Rundle: a book that marks the end of Blair, all echo and no conscience
“You know, I of course I feel sorrow for the people who have died, how could you not…” God, there it was again, that voice, pouring out of the radio at 6:30 in the morning, as one of the last sunny days began outside. Tony Blair back from the shadowlands of post-priministerial life, and right […]
Tony Blair bio blasts Gordon Brown
Tony Blair’s soon to be released tell-all memoir is generating controversy throughout the UK, with the former British PM claiming he foresaw disaster in his beleaguered replacement, Gordon Brown, reports Martin Kettle.
Finding faith at 24 frames a second
Former British PM Tony Blair has moved on from the rancorous chambers of politics to the dark auditoriums of film festivals. His short film competition, Faith Shorts, is a venture for young filmmakers to make short films that explore what faith means to them.
Rudd and Blair: doppelganger PMs
Former UK PM Tony Blair was a triumph of spin over substance and our own Kevin Rudd is the same. Christopher Pearson compares the two, from insincere mea culpas to their love of celebrities.
Guy Rundle: 24 hours till polls open, people
A day out from the UK election: Brown has just given his best performance ever, Cameron says he’ll campaign through the night, and Clegg is looking as real as burning plastic.
Tom Nairn: the Toad election
What the U.K. Election debate and its impact have pointed to is surely a need for revolution. The Great-British identity is now more shaky and imponderable than that of Australia or EU nations, writes Tom Nairn.
Guy Rundle: Rundle’s UK: Labour’s 2010 manifesto
UK Labour launched its 2010 manifesto, and it didn’t go down well. “This manifesto is not Blairite, it’s Blair Plus,” said “Lord” Peter Mandelson. Is that really a selling point?
The day I attempted to arrest Tony Blair for war crimes
David Cronin explains that fateful day when he attempted a citizen’s arrest on former UK PM Tony Blair for war crimes in the Iraq War as part of George Monbiot’s “Arrest Blair”campaign.
Guy Rundle: Rundle’s UK: Adonis in name only, as the Labour train leaves the station
UK Labour finally announced a high-speed rail line from London to Birmingham. Construction will commence in 2017. Yep that’s right, 2017. Not finish, commence.
