Sun-watch: "Yes, I'm a drunk."
First things first: it's nice to actually see politics on the front page of the Sun, because it sure doesn't happen very often. Sadly though, it's because of a sycophantic interview with Blair and mainly as a cheap shot against Charles Kennedy, who was incredibly brave in going public with his alcoholism, whether he was forced to or not.
Their rather crude manipulation of Kennedy's statement last night though reminds me of a certain incident which happened last year. This was when an editor of a national tabloid newspaper was arrested for seeming to have beaten up her husband following a night of drinking. You might also remember that afterwards the explanation given for the husband having a cut lip was that he'd suffered it while filming. This editor, and the lie? Rebekah Wade, and the lie was printed in her newspaper in the tiny amount of coverage it gave to the story.
On to the Blair interview then, which even for the Sun is incredibly ass-kissing. Consider the following paragraph:
Mr Blair spoke to me amid the wood-panelled splendour of his rural retreat Chequers in Buckinghamshire.
Around him in the grandeur were photographs of his family, wife Cherie, sons Euan, Nicky and Leo and daughter Kathryn.
He looked tanned and fit after a week-long break in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh.
He sported an open-necked, light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of black moleskin chinos — and, fittingly with his laidback mood, no watch.
But he was in determined mood when it came to his campaign on hooligans.
I had no idea that not wearing a watch was a sign that you were laidback -- I'll have to try that one when I next visit my psychiatrist. Probably of more interest to us than what he was wearing those is his rather deluded thoughts of what the public expect of him:
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."
This would be the same public of which only 22% voted for Labour. Labour only won 36% of the vote - a humiliatingly low amount. Blair has suffered negative personal approval ratings since the time of the Iraq war, even if Labour voters still mostly approve of him. Blair had already also said at the time that he would not stand for a 4th election, and the whispered but not publicly stated campaign slogan was "vote Blair, get Brown". Blair even stated at the time of the election that he recognised he would have to listen, and that the public wanted Labour as the government with a reduced majority. So why has he not listened, and why has he acted as if he still has that huge majority? The Sun sure didn't ask him that question. They do sure care about "yobs" though, the majority of which probably read the Sun.
NEIGHBOURS from hell are to be EVICTED and left to fend for themselves in a crackdown on yobs planned by Tony Blair.
The worst offenders will have their houses boarded up for at least three months — even if they are homeowners.
The PM unveiled the most controversial part of his Respect agenda by talking exclusively to The Sun in his first public interview of the New Year.
Mr Blair spoke of his “real anger” at the unacceptable yobbery rampant in some inner cities.
And he vowed he wants to end it FOR GOOD.
He said: “People have to know that if they are making life hell for others, they are going to pay the price.
“There’s a duty to respect the rights of those who live around you.
“People who come in at two or three in the morning, playing music in a destructive way, abusing anyone who dares to take them on — that is just not acceptable. They must learn to behave properly to other people.
“I recognise this is controversial but if we are going to restore respect in the community we have to make sure the civil liberties of people to live free from fear comes first.”
If we're going to evict people and board up their houses, where are they going to go? Do we just let them live on the streets and beg? No, I suppose we'll then use the anti-begging laws and Asbos which have been handed out to beggars to stop them. One breach of that contract and they end up thrown up in prison. This is being tough on crime, but it certainly isn't being tough on the causes of the crime. And then we have the so-called "on the spot" justice:
He explained: “I can’t physically come on to your street and stop the anti-social behaviour. But I can give the police the powers to do it. They know who the troublemakers are.”
Oh yes, they probably do. And if someone's been unruly once or twice, they're incredibly likely to just to dish out what they think is necessary if the same is reported again, whether that person was involved or not. Summary justice is bad justice, as vigilantism has shown time and again over the years. Nowhere does the prime minister in the article mention that crime has been falling now for ten years (according to both Home Office figures and the British Crime Survey), as he well knows. Nor does he mention that the main fuel of violent crime, alcohol, has just been made available 24 hours by his government in many areas of the country. That wouldn't fit in with his tough persona which he shows every now and then to get support from the Sun, all too happy to bash the "lefties" it refers to in the article.
Blair can't face up to the fact he is now a lame duck. The Sun itself already passed notice earlier this week that it has been very impressed with David Cameron. It will no doubt soon side with the Tories in smearing Gordon Brown for being a left wing throwback when he is nothing of sort. Even when one politician goes out of his way to show how the culture of Westminster is finally starting to change, the likes of the Sun and Blair show just how far it still has to go.
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Wednesday, July 26, 2006 10:30:00 am
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