Tony Blair, RIP

Publius Quinctilius Varus, a man not averse to wealth who, rather like the fox that lost its tail in Aesop's Fables and presumably for the same reason, decided that affordable dentistry should be denied to the masses

The BBC have recently been accused of being insensitive (making a change from accusations of bias) by commencing the research they need to film an obituary for Tony Blair, presumably knowing full well that the bugger is still very much alive and advising some very dodgy governments on how to stone women without attracting publicity and complicating the Palistinian question while bemused, but still patriotic Englishmen, sit freezing over Christmas in slit trenches in Afghanistan wondering why he sent them there.

"Leading Labour figures were said to be shocked to be approached by BBC producers putting together the tributes to Mr Blair"

Tributes? TRIBUTES?

In June 2007 BBC Newsnight held a competition for the best maximum fifteen word epitaph for Blair's political career. Sadly, I missed that but can now see it as the vicarious authority driving the BBC.

I am forced to revise my opinion of Labour MP’s. It appears that they are, after all, decent human beings who have their ethical limits. Claiming for double mortgages or employing half of one’s family at the taxpayer’s expense are one thing (or two in the case of some clumsy MPs educated in Comprehensive schools leaving them bewildered by the simple mathematics required to fiddle their accounts) but no one could reasonably be expected to stress their integrity so far as to come up with a tribute to Tony Blair.

Tony Blair is on the left. The guy on the right is some dead bloke he sucked up to.

Lacking original thought, a gift bestowed sparingly upon those at the front of the very long queue I backed up before joining the even longer queue for willies, I quote Valleius Paterculus:

‘He came to a rich province a poor man, but left a poor province a rich man’.

OK, seventeen words rather than fifteen, but who would quibble about two extra words except Blair’s PR team? Nevertheless, wouldn't that be the most appropriate epitaph?

I know he is only 58 but maybe the BBC know something we don’t. I wait with the sort of mildly detached anticipation I do the recent threat by Greek authorities to drag their unproductive country out of the Euro if the UK, German and French taxpayer funded bailout for them doesn't work.