Blair Witch-Hunt
Tony Blair has apparently written an article for The Observer newspaper today - on the London riots - which I have yet to read.
But listening to the radio this morning the critics are already out in force - as usual.
I find it remarkable that people in high places feel able to behave in such a pompous, arrogant way - dismissing someone without even considering or responding properly to what they have to say.
You would be forgiven for thinking that these armchair critics have achieved great things in their own lives - or professional careers.
So I laughed like a drain when I read John Rentoul's blog site in the Independent -
the other day.
Which gave both barrels to one of Tony Blair's most trenchant critics - The Daily Mail.
"Breaking news: Daily Mail publishes the truth"
"Say what you like about the Daily Mail, but on those very rare occasions that it gets things wrong – “Hurrah for the Blackshirts”, that sort of thing, and it was a long time ago – the least that you can say about it is that it bends over backwards to publish a correction. This it always does as soon as possible, and it gives the correction equal prominence to the original error.
As it does today, near the front page of its web site and on page 25 of the print edition:
'An article of 28 June headlined ‘How the Blairs have become ships that pass in the night’ reported that, for the first time in their marriage, Cherie and Tony Blair had not arranged a family summer holiday together this year and that Mrs Blair had met the Pope for solace during a recent holiday in Italy. We accept that they had booked a summer holiday before the date of our article and, in fact, she did not meet the Pope on this occasion. We apologise for any embarrassment caused.'
A single paragraph a mere seven-and-a-half weeks after a full-page libel? Who could say fairer than that?
Paul Dacre was paid £2.8m last year."
Now that's what I call a good argument.
But listening to the radio this morning the critics are already out in force - as usual.
I find it remarkable that people in high places feel able to behave in such a pompous, arrogant way - dismissing someone without even considering or responding properly to what they have to say.
You would be forgiven for thinking that these armchair critics have achieved great things in their own lives - or professional careers.
So I laughed like a drain when I read John Rentoul's blog site in the Independent -
the other day.
Which gave both barrels to one of Tony Blair's most trenchant critics - The Daily Mail.
"Breaking news: Daily Mail publishes the truth"
"Say what you like about the Daily Mail, but on those very rare occasions that it gets things wrong – “Hurrah for the Blackshirts”, that sort of thing, and it was a long time ago – the least that you can say about it is that it bends over backwards to publish a correction. This it always does as soon as possible, and it gives the correction equal prominence to the original error.
As it does today, near the front page of its web site and on page 25 of the print edition:
'An article of 28 June headlined ‘How the Blairs have become ships that pass in the night’ reported that, for the first time in their marriage, Cherie and Tony Blair had not arranged a family summer holiday together this year and that Mrs Blair had met the Pope for solace during a recent holiday in Italy. We accept that they had booked a summer holiday before the date of our article and, in fact, she did not meet the Pope on this occasion. We apologise for any embarrassment caused.'
A single paragraph a mere seven-and-a-half weeks after a full-page libel? Who could say fairer than that?
Paul Dacre was paid £2.8m last year."
Now that's what I call a good argument.
