The terms "
spinIn public relations, spin is form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure...
" and "spin doctor" came into widespread use in politics in the 1980s. Blair has been criticised for excessive use of spin in politics, labelled by John Major, who preceded him as Prime Minister, as "the porn of politics".. This criticism reached its height with allegations that the Director of Communications and Strategy, Alastair Campbell, had "spun" the Iraq Dossier, an important document issued to journalists and used by the government to justify British involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
No weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq and subsequently U.S.-led inspections agreed that Iraq had earlier abandoned its WMD programs, although the inspectors asserted Iraq had an intention to pursue those programs if UN sanctions were ever lifted..
Spin (public relations)
The terms "
spinIn public relations, spin is form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure...
" and "spin doctor" came into widespread use in politics in the 1980s. Blair has been criticised for excessive use of spin in politics, labelled by John Major, who preceded him as Prime Minister, as "the porn of politics".. This criticism reached its height with allegations that the Director of Communications and Strategy, Alastair Campbell, had "spun" the Iraq Dossier, an important document issued to journalists and used by the government to justify British involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Iraq War
No weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq and subsequently U.S.-led inspections agreed that Iraq had earlier abandoned its WMD programs, although the inspectors asserted Iraq had an intention to pursue those programs if UN sanctions were ever lifted.. Since the presence of weapons of mass destruction used to justify the invasion of Iraq were never found, and since the invasion was not sanctioned by the United Nations, many people are of the opinion the invasion was illegal. As a result of this, some have argued that Tony Blair is a
de facto war criminal . The current British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has set up an inquiry into the Iraq war to cover the period from 2001-2009, originally stating that it would be held in private. However, subsequently, the chairman of the inquiry, Sir John Chilcott, stated that hearings would be in public unless there were "compelling reasons" for witnesses to be heard in private. The enquiry started at the end of July 2009, after the return of most British troops from Iraq. It has been argued that the strategy is to prevent a situation where British troops are found to be in Iraq illegally, but can't withdraw without destabilising the region, rather than an attempt to delay Blair being called to account for his actions.
Cash for honours scandal
Blair came under fire for reportedly selling peerages to wealthy businessmen in return for financial funding for the Labour Party. The
Crown Prosecution ServiceThe Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
stated on 20 July 2007 that, in their view, they were unable to find enough evidence to bring a successful prosecution against anyone. Although Blair was reported as pleased that charges were not pressed,, he and the Labour party were not exonerated from acting illegally. The decision of the
Crown Prosecution ServiceThe Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
was made on the basis of a lack of evidence and an assessment of the likelihood of a conviction. Assistant Commissioner John Yates claimed there was "political pressure" applied to him and that "there were ... instances when we received less than full cooperation", though also claiming he did not believe it was "deliberate in its intent."
Identity Cards
The Identity Cards Act 2006 enabled the Government to introduce national identity cards, and authorised the creation of a National Identity Register on Britain's citizens. Critics of ID cards argue that the Register threatens privacy and civil liberties, and that they could be used to deny access to public services.
The government maintained that ID cards are crucial in counter-terrorism and crime prevention. However the opinion of many senior staff including ex-cabinet ministers formerly involved with the study, is that these claims are exaggerated
Relationship with President George W. Bush
Along with enjoying a close relationship with U.S. President
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office...
during the latter's time in office, Blair formed a strong political alliance with President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
, particularly in the area of foreign policy. At one point
Nelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, who held office from 1994–99. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto...
described Blair as "the U.S. foreign minister." For his part, President Bush lauded Blair and the UK, saying in his post-September 11 speech that "America has no truer friend than Great Britain."
Blair's prompt appearance in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
after the 11 September 2001 attacks played a part in establishing mutual respect between the two leaders. Prior to the Iraq War Blair wished to obtain a second UN resolution following Security Council Resolution 1441 authorizing an invasion of Iraq, but ultimately supported the U.S.-led invasion after they failed to pass a resolution. Critics argue this support provided the fig-leaf of an international
coalitionA coalition is an alliance among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in his own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
as well as military support. Writing in 2005, the former UK ambassador to the US, Sir
Christopher MeyerSir Christopher Meyer, KCMG is a former British Ambassador to the United States , and the former chair of the Press Complaints Commission.-Background and earlier career:...
, accused Blair of being a
hawkWar Hawk is a term originally used to describe a member of the House of Representatives of the Twelfth Congress of the United States who advocated waging war against Great Britain in the War of 1812...
and of having been insufficiently cautious about the war. Meyer claimed Blair could have prevented the war if he had acted in the summer of 2002. Journalist Simon Jenkins criticised Meyer's claims as 'naive'.
In July 2003 the U.S. Congress awarded Blair the Congressional Gold Medal, making him the first Briton since
Winston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC was a British politician known chiefly for his leadership of the United Kingdom during World War II. He served as Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. A noted statesman and orator, Churchill was also an officer...
to receive the award, which is considered the United States' highest expression of appreciation. The award aroused controversy in the UK. As of August 2005 Blair had yet to collect the medal though he had already formally accepted the award.
An open microphone accidentally picked up a private conversation between Blair and Bush at the 2006
G8The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for governments of the six richest countries in the world: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1976, Canada joined the group...
summit in St Petersburg. Transcripts of the conversation appeared to show, among other things, that Bush snubbed Blair's offer to visit the Middle East as a mediator in the latest conflict, sending U.S.
Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence. The current Secretary of...
Condoleezza RiceCondoleezza Rice is a professor, diplomat, author, and national security expert. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
instead. Bush's greeting of "
Yo, Blair"Yo, Blair. How are you doing?" was an informal greeting that United States President George W. Bush gave to British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in St Petersburg, Russia, on 17 July 2006...
" particularly irked the press in the UK.
His departure
Blair's apparent refusal to set a date for his departure has been criticised by the British press and members of parliament. It has been reported that a number of cabinet ministers believed that Blair's timely departure from office would be required to be able to win a fourth election. Some ministers viewed Blair's announcement of policy initiatives in September 2006 as an attempt to draw attention away from these issues.
Criticism by the left
One example is the use of private capital to fund public projects (under the
Private Finance InitiativeThe Private Finance Initiative , developed initially by the Australian and United Kingdom governments, is a method to provide financial support for "public-private partnerships" between the public and private sectors...
). Another policy which has attracted criticism is the introduction of independent Trust Schools.
Alliance with Bernie Ecclestone over tobacco advertising
In 1997, Formula One boss
Bernie EcclestoneBernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is a billionaire sports entrepreneur, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the...
was involved in a political controversy over Labour Party's policy on tobacco sponsorship. Labour had pledged to ban
tobacco advertisingTobacco advertising is the advertising of tobacco products or use by the tobacco industry through a variety of media including sponsorship, particularly of sporting events. It is now one of the most highly regulated forms of marketing...
in its manifesto ahead of its
1997 General Election victoryThe UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992. The Labour Party won the general election in a landslide victory with 418 seats, the most seats the party has ever held...
, supporting a proposed
European Union DirectiveA directive is a legislative act of the European Union, which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. It can be distinguished from regulations which are self-executing and do not require any implementing measures. Directives...
banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship. At this time all leading Formula One Teams carried significant branding from tobacco brands such as
RothmansRothmans International plc was a British tobacco manufacturer. Its brands included Rothmans and Dunhill. Its international headquarters were in Hill Street, London and its international operations were run from Denham Place, Denham Village in Buckinghamshire...
, Benson and Hedges,
WestWest is a German tobacco brand owned by the British company Imperial Tobacco.The cigarettes are available in most European Union countries except the UK. The brand is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.-History:...
,
MarlboroMarlboro is a brand of cigarettes made by Philip Morris USA within the US, and by Philip Morris International outside the US. It is famous for its billboard advertisements and magazine ads of the Marlboro Man....
and
Mild SevenMild Seven is a brand of cigarettes produced by Japan Tobacco. Mild Seven cigarettes are the third widest smoked cigarette in the world, behind Marlboro and Camel. Manufactured originally in Tokyo, by Japanese Tobacco Inc. it has been a top seller since its creation in 1977...
. The Labour Party's stance on banning tobacco advertising was reinforced following the election by forceful statements from the Health Secretary
Frank DobsonFrank Gordon Dobson is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras since 1979; he served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Health from 1997 to 1999, and was the official Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London in 2000, ultimately...
and Minister for Public Health
Tessa JowellTessa Jane Helena Douglas Jowell is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood since 1992...
. Ecclestone appealed 'over Jowell's head' to Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair's chief of staff, who arranged a meeting with Blair. Ecclestone and Mosley, both Labour Party donors, met Blair on 16 October 1997, where Mosley argued:
"Motor racing was a world class industry which put Britain at the hi-tech edge. Deprived of tobacco money, Formula One would move abroad at the loss of 50,000 jobs, 150,000 part-time jobs and £900 million of exports."
On 4 November the "fiercely anti-tobacco Jowell" argued in Brussels for an exemption for Formula One. Media attention initially focused on Labour bending its principles for a "glamour sport" and on the "false trail" of Jowell's husband's links to
BenettonBenetton Formula Ltd., commonly referred to simply as Benetton, was a Formula One constructor that participated from 1986 to 2001. The team was owned by the Benetton family who run a worldwide chain of clothing stores of the same name. In 2000 the team was purchased by Renault, but competed as...
. On 6 November correspondents from three newspapers inquired whether Labour had received any donations from Ecclestone; he had donated £1 million in January 1997. On 11 November Labour promised to return the money on the advice of Sir Patrick Neill. On 17 November Blair apologised for his government's mishandling of the affair and stated "the decision to exempt Formula One from tobacco sponsorship was taken two weeks later. It was in response to fears that Britain might lose the industry overseas to Asian countries who were bidding for it." In 2008, the year after Blair stepped down as Prime Minister, internal Downing Street memos revealed that in fact the decision had been made at the time of the meeting, and not two weeks later as Blair stated in Parliament.