Beauty went to bed, went to sleep, woke up, got up and the routine started all over again. I am now thoroughly exhausted even after a few hours sleep,I shall start cooking for this party when the morning medication and bread starts to kick in and my joints start to work.I was reading the following article this morning.
How to be ex-Prime Minister
Blair could make a lot of money as an ex-PM
By Michael Cockerell
Political documentary maker
When Tony Blair leaves Number 10 on Wednesday he will be much better off than Winston Churchill was when he became an ex-prime minister in 1945 - after winning the war and losing the general election.
"My grandfather was effectively bankrupt by the end of the war," says the great man's grandson - also called Winston Churchill.
Churchill was forced to put his home, Chartwell in Kent, on the market.
"Lord Camrose, the then proprietor of the Daily Telegraph was outraged," says young Winston.
"And he corralled 10 wealthy well-wishers and they each ponied up the princely sum of £5,000.
"So for £55,000 - which was a lot of money in those days - they bought Chartwell on the understanding that my grandparents would live there until the end of their days and then it would be presented to the nation."
The biggest question of all is how to fill the suddenly empty days.The former Tory cabinet minister, Ken Clarke, who as an MP since 1970 has watched five prime ministers come and go says: "Like a departing captain of industry, Tony will want the next big job in the career."In his case I think it will be trying to govern the world and advise all the other political leaders how to run things. And he'll find that difficult, because you are very ex as an ex-prime minister."
Blair's meeting with the Pope on Saturday is one key to what he plans to do.
According to one of Blair's closest advisers: "Tony is obsessed with the idea of becoming a roving envoy who would seek to reconcile the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam."
Blair sought Papal endorsement for his plans to set up an inter-faith foundation - headed by himself.
It may take you a very long time to adjust fully to no longer being the most powerful person in the land.
For the one thing all members of the ex-prime ministers' club have in common is that they have lost the most exciting job that they will ever have.
Ken Clarke sums it up: "I think almost all of them, if you said that, by some amazing miracle, you could go back tomorrow and you could be prime minister again and take on all that hassle, and all that strain, and all that criticism, and all those crises, they'd all have jumped at it and gone straight back straight away."
I could NEVER be famous or prime minister, it was bad enough talking on camera for the Wales
60 initiative. Even the party this afternoon has me worried! I admire people who can do this kind of thing. And Ken Clarke made the point that if they were offered the chance to do it again they would. I couldn't do it once , let alone twice. I admire the movers and shakers of the world who can stand up and be counted but I am afraid that any thing that I do will have to be in private. When I was a Christian I held the same view
Matthew 7:16 -By their fruits ye shall know them.
I was always one of these people who felt actions were more important. I really find missionary work, evangelism(especially TV ) and public displays of religion as unacceptable. It must be the Britishness in me coming out-well my mother was English.
However, I do need to clarify missionary work. I am quite happy for religious people to go into inner cities and help in needy situations, to go to places and build wells, teach hygiene and healthy eating and provide medical services . All these things are worthy but not if these people constantly attach religion to what they are doing. Remember -By their fruits ye shall know them.
So could I party like Tony Blair?
The thought fills me with horror.
3 comments:
Tony is obsessed with the idea of becoming a roving envoy who would seek to reconcile the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
That's scary. It sounds as absurd as George W Bush being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. I think the war in Iraq might prevent certain factions from seeing Tony as a great reconciler...!
At least he's trying to do something constructive, I guess.
Here in the states people really don't want their children to be president at all. That's depressing. It used to be such an honor.
Now, in my opinion at least, it's just a hideous job with a hideous responsibility.
I feel that the problem with Tony Blair isn't what he does but the way he performs.Tony Blair is an image man who seems intent on getting the best camera angle and constantly puts on a performance.Since Mr Blair came in to power , the role of the British politician seems to have changed to coincide with the general publics desire to 'JUST BE FAMOUS'.It all seems to be about celebrity status. Perhaps that is why many people have lost confidence.For me I saw the change when Diana died and Tony Blair stood in front of the camera and spoke. Perhaps it is my Britishness again but it was such an unashamedly self-seeking performance that I was embarrassed.Mr Blair's government seems to have been dogged by 'SPIN' and because of this people have lost confidence in politicians and their motives.I personally have never had confidence in politicians because I grew up with a father who was a local councilor and a county councilor and there was always such in-house fighting and back biting that politics came across to me as just plain mean.
On our City council the majority recently changed and the out going leader proclaimed that he was going to study for a new career as a minister in the Church in Wales.I couldn't possibly question the religious motives of any individual but I lived a few doors away from this man growing up and his goal from an early age was to be an MP and then PM.When Mr Blair announced his intentions it reminded me of this.When I was in University I did some Philosophy modules and we discussed altruism and how true altruistic behaviour is never really possible. However, the more I see of life the more I realise that for a lot of people altruism is not the primary motivator or even part of their lives and that saddens me.
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