This is vintage Blair. We have all forgotten how good he is.
Blair is on top of his brief, coherent, logical, referring to documents with ease and always one step ahead of the Inquiry, which he has dominated from the start.
Blair is not there to answer on the details and the Inquiry recognises this. He is there to defend the principles of the policy that he followed and has succeeded with ease. He has not slipped up once.
What Blair has again demonstrated today is why he was such a good Prime Minster. It is all broad, big picture stuff, and more importantly, he has the vital ability to communicate effectively.
This is all bad news for Gordon Brown. Blair makes him look out of his depth and an amateur in comparison.
The more important session is to come when Blair deals with the legal aspects and the post-war phase. This is where Blair is most vulnerable.
Posts
I'll post my fuller thoughts later.
ReplyDeleteBut, no matter how polished his performance, it is largely irrelevant. We've seen it before. We don't want him playing Blair 2003, that show closed ages ago. He needs to reinvent himself, Madonna-style. And he tried it, pointing the finger of blame (and threat) at Iran. The messenger is of limited relevance if the message is greeted with cynicism. Most people made up their minds a long time ago.
The key impacts will be in any gaps between the documentary record and the testimony (both the current document trail and future releases), and in how today's session is perceived by the media. Sky are cynical, BBC flag up the word "defiant" and there was at least one "inconsistency" between his testimony and the evidence.
Sir Roderic Lyne probed as deeply as we are going to see in these sessions, to good effect. And it is certain Blair will be back, in public or in private.
Thanks for that. I have been diverted this afternoon. Work and all that. Like you, I will post my thoughts later or Saturday.
ReplyDelete