Blair's Goodbye
Like every other political hack I've just been watching Tony Blair's final performance at the despatch box. Extraordinary scenes when all sides rose to give him a standing ovation, with David Cameron urging on any reluctant Tories.
As the minutes ticked by I thought the leader of the fourth biggest party was going to get squeezed out. But Ian Paisley made it at the end with a lengthy tribute. He contrasted his often forthright political exchanges with Mr Blair with the courtesy of their personal dealings. The First Minister noted that Mr Blair was taking on a "colossal task" as Middle East envoy and hoped what has happened in Northern Ireland will be repeated.
It would have been unthinkable for the DUP leader to have voiced such sentiments in the days when he used to tell President Clinton and any other international movers and shakers to "butt out". But the unthinkable is commonplace now.
TB welcomed the tribute, adding that he was waiting for the "but" from Ian Paisley, but it never came.
And so TB is exiting stage right - his Northern Ireland peace brokering background not just a chapter for his memoirs or a nice story to tell his grandchildren, but an essential part of his CV for his next job.
I'm 
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When will all you people, who live in this country realise that it is not the Prime Minister who runs the country it is senior Civil Servants. We can have a new Prime Minister every day of the week but it is the senior Civil Servants who work behind the scenes rule the UK. What we need is a change of senior Civil Servants. Senior Civil Servants cant run their own offices let alone a country. For example they spend 脗艁1.5 billion of the Tax payers money on a computer system and then it is ditched because it doesnt meet expectations. The different policy makers in the civil service come up with a plan and then the Government either back it or ditch it. Most of the time the Government back it. Who is with me or against me and why?
could you do a better job?
I disagree with you. Indeed, I鈥檓 not giving a ringing disagreement, but just sayin鈥 what I think. I have my opinion, you have yours.
I芒鈧劉m sure all guys who write comments are teens or even younger. If you are older, than shame on you!