Friday, January 06, 2006

The Fluffers

The Scum today has an exclusive Tony Blair interview:
DEFIANT Tony Blair last night vowed to carry on as Prime Minister for the bulk of this Parliament — saying he owed it to the people. The PM insisted it was his duty to voters to stay in power because that is what they demanded at last May’s election. Declaring he would not flinch in the face of Labour rebels, he said: “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here and I’m going to see the whole programme through.” Crucially, however, Mr Blair pledged to hand the New Labour baton over to Chancellor Gordon Brown some time before the next election — due at the latest in 2010. He said: “I’m absolutely happy that Gordon will be my successor. He needs the confidence of knowing he will succeed me and that’s fair enough.” Mr Blair’s declaration that he will carry on will be a blow to the Chancellor. But Mr Brown WILL be able to take comfort from the Premier’s public endorsement of him as successor. Mr Blair is working on a handover strategy giving Mr Brown the best chance of winning a fourth Labour election victory in 2009. He wants the Chancellor to cash in on a “honeymoon period” which would come if he took over close to the polling date. The PM added: “I feel good about our agenda. If you’ve won three elections then you’re obviously what the people want. “Why say you’re only going to do it for another few years? “You are not going to fight an election six months ago, and just walk away. “I want to see through the changes I’ve made and the changes I’m making.”
This is in the side bar of the linked page but the main article is also worth reading if you can bear it. I wonder how the Scum manages to get so many exclusive interviews with the Prime Minister? Remember this one for example? Oh, you're such a big man Tony, that's it, oh yes, that feels good, you really are a very big boy... If that doesn't leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth then I don't know what will.

OK, enough ooh er missus. There's an unhealthy mutual back scratching set up here between Bliar and Murdoch. That Murdoch's ahem "newspaper" publishes these fluff pieces so willingly and so uncritically tells its own story.

Blair says "If you’ve won three elections then you’re obviously what the people want." No mention of the fact that only 22% of the electorate voted Labour at the last election? No mention of the fact that 68% of the electorate didn't want Blair enough to vote for his party? No mention of the fact that Blair had to draft in Brown to take a high profile role in the election campaign after initially attempting to freeze him out? No mention of the fact that this was because Blair was basically a liability at the election and that the implied message was quite clearly "vote Blair, get Brown"? No mention of the fact that the Conservatives had to drop that very slogan after they realised that Blair was selling the exact same message? Not a word.

A decent honest journalist might have thought to at least give these issues a passing mention. But then a decent honest journailist wouldn't be working for the Scum anyway.

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