Tony Blair on Gordon Brown

The BBC report on Tony Blair's autobiography and there are some interesting passages. The one that really caught my eye was this pertaining to how Tony Blair saw Gordon Brown as a potential Prime Minister:

'Mr Blair describes Mr Brown, who succeeded him in 10 Downing Street in 2007, as a "strange guy" and says his time as prime minister was "never going to work". But it would have been "well nigh impossible" to stop him taking over, he adds.'

"never going to work" - I don't remember Tony Blair warning the Labour party that having Gordon Brown as his successor as Prime Minister was "never going to work". I don't remember Tony Blair warning the country that having Gordon Brown as his successor as Prime Minister was "never going to work". In fact I seem to remember Tony Blair endorsing Gordon Brown as a "big clunking fist" and great Chancellor.

The Telegraph's coverage includes many interesting titbits but it was the following one that caught my eye:

'The former prime minister also disclosed that Mr Brown tried to blackmail him over the cash for honours scandal when it erupted in 2006 in a bid to make him ditch radical reforms to pensions drawn up by Lord Turner.

The then chancellor threatened to ensure that there was an official Labour investigation into the scandal, in which Mr Blair was accused of doling out seats in the House of Lords in exchange for sizeable donations to the party, unless the prime minister shelved the plans.

Mr Blair refused and within two days the then Labour Party treasurer gave a television interview which led to the threatened investigation.'

Does Tony Blair consider that he served the best interests of the United Kingdom by allowing a man capable of blackmail to become its Prime Minister?


I will not pay to read Tony Blair's autobiography and so will wait for a free copy to wend its way to me, however what I have read so far does nothing to change my view of this loathsome man.