'The Nigga Gets It'

Much to the chagrin of his critics and contemporaries, no doubt, Tony Blair retains the uncanny ability to put his finger on the heart of an issue - and express himself in words that ordinary people can relate to and understand.

Take the big debate about Britain's future in Europe - which led to the former Labour Prime Minister being interviewed in Davos - as 'world leaders' gather for a global business summit.

Here's what Tony Blair had to say after being questioned on David Cameron’s ability to wrest concessions from his fellow EU leaders - followed by an in/out referendum.

“I hear what you say about this is a great negotiating tactic but it reminds me a bit of the Mel Brooks comedy, Blazing Saddles, where the sheriff holds a gun to his own head and says at one point, ‘If you don’t do what I want, I’ll blow my brains out,” he said. “You want to watch that one of the 26 don’t just say, ‘Go ahead.' " 

Now this is indeed a riotously funny scene - from one of the truly all-time great movies.

So here's the clip - complete with all the notoriously un-PC language - which people in Tony Blair's position would always be far too cautious to use in public.

http://youtu.be/AjPBp6DOwgU

The laugh is that Bart, the sheriff of Rock Ridge (played by Cleavon Little), manages to outwit the racist townsfolk before going on to save them all - from themselves.

At the end of the film - the baddies are finally defeated and everybody lives happily ever after - but only after the mother and father of all slapstick street fights.

I wonder if there's a metaphor in there somewhere - for the UK and its future relations with Europe.