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Talk about Newsnight

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Wednesday, 27 June, 2007

  • Newsnight
  • 27 Jun 07, 06:02 PM

"And that is that…the end".
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in the CommonsWe devote the whole of tonight's programme to the handover of Prime Ministerial power.

David Grossman was on the front row of the Commons press gallery for Tony Blair's last Prime Minister's Questions. He witnessed an unprecedented sending off by Blair's fellow Parliamentarians. Combat suspended - for a while at least - the former PM received warm tributes, a standing ovation, as well as many good hearted pats on the back, he even threw in some good jokes. David brings us the definitive account of the final hours of Blair's premiership.

"Let the work of change begin"
Michael Crick started his day at the Treasury and has been watching the equally compelling journey of Gordon Brown's path to Number 10. He'll have the latest news on any reshuffle announcements.

Jeremy will be interviewing top figures from all the three parties as well as Quentin Letts, Andrew Rawnsley and Jackie Ashley.

We also reveal the winner of the .

Do add your thoughts on what should be on Tony Blair's political epitaph.

Do join at 22:30. Leave your thoughts below.

Comments  Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 06:38 PM on 27 Jun 2007,
  • Jmirsh wrote:

I made mendacity an art form

  • 2.
  • At 06:58 PM on 27 Jun 2007,
  • Maurice - Northumberland wrote:

Well Tony and Co have had a lovely expensive day, all lovely theatre all that would do Hollywood credit.
Whist people in S. Yorkshire are up to the necks in filth!
But never mind eh - this was Tony and Gordon's day and no minor problems experienced by the peasants was ever going to be allowed to interfere in the abdication and the following Coronation of Prudence!

How can Brown change anything?
He was one of the architects of the last 10 years, for him to change anything would be an admission of his and Labours abject failure.

He is going to find it tough to continue the democratic deficit with him being elected in Scotland, where many of his decisions will not effect his constituents, but will effect the English and the Welsh.

As for listening to the Electorate, we have heard that all before, ironically always around election time. So nothing will change, until a General Election takes place!
An Election that cannot come soon enough.

  • 3.
  • At 07:33 PM on 27 Jun 2007,
  • barbara ward wrote:

First I built on rock and then I built on sand

  • 4.
  • At 09:17 PM on 27 Jun 2007,
  • Hugh Waldock wrote:

The eternal flair of Tony Blair has given way to Britain's crown, Gordon Brown!

  • 5.
  • At 09:41 PM on 27 Jun 2007,
  • Bedd Gelert wrote:

Be careful what you wish for, Maurice, or you might find Tony turns up at Sheffield promising to part the waters of the Red Sea, sorry, I mean river Don and lead you to the promised land...

  • 6.
  • At 10:50 PM on 27 Jun 2007,
  • karin wrote:

For Gordon Brown to try and stop Alistair Campbell and Mandelson (where are they now) shows how petulant a little person he is. Wake up Gordon, they went a while ago. Pathetic!

  • 7.
  • At 11:17 PM on 27 Jun 2007,
  • jon jordan wrote:

Loving the Paxman-Crick interchanges. Keep messing up the papers Michael. But did anyone else think Brown's old school moto quoting either completely fake or completely naive? I mean, the guy's in his 50s. Old school moto? Bet Alastair Campbell pissed himself when he heard that.

Excellent interview with Andy Burnham (Health Secretary under Blair but who knows what he’ll be today!) and Michael on who will be in Brown’s cabinet, including speculation on Dame Shirley Williams. Excellent trio, again with Andy Burnham, Theresa May & Nick Clegg, and then with Quentin Letts, Jackie Ashley & Andrew Rawnsley too. Oh and ha ha at Michael messing up all the front pages, as he ended up having to do the lot! However, the best of the night was saved until the end….the Order of The Brown Nose going to Quentin Davies! Who said revenge wasn’t sweet. ;-)

The schoolboy translation of our school motto (in the 50s) was: "Hang on to what you've got and grab some more." Plus ca change ...

  • 10.
  • At 01:01 PM on 28 Jun 2007,
  • csharp wrote:

i thought the commons clapped because they recognised someone who got away with it?

  • 11.
  • At 01:24 PM on 28 Jun 2007,
  • eee aarrrgh donkey wrote:

I had a lump in my throat and my eyes were watering whilst watching Tony's departure.
I was choking on a wine gum.

  • 12.
  • At 01:46 PM on 28 Jun 2007,
  • Joseph wrote:

It is a futile and pointless exercise to keep going over and over again the same spiteful remarks about the past 10 years. They add nothing to any debate.
One only has to loook for the name of the author and can practically tell what it going to be written before even reading it.
People get sick of listening to the same old monotonous grinding drivel and become desensitived to it.
The last decade has been and gone, yes mistakes were made by this government as with every other that I have ever known, and people have to learn from them.
We are entering a new political chapter in all of our lives. It is time to move on, give Gordon Brown a chance to see what he can do, if at the end of a year things do not shape up then grouse but not before.
As for the Motto, all we can ask of anybody is that they do their best. We will know soon enough if his best is not good enough.

  • 13.
  • At 03:17 PM on 28 Jun 2007,
  • eee aarrrgh donkey wrote:

Let me respond to joseph at 12, when you get passed being a cynical commentator of the Blair premiership such as myself and arguing of the dismal ineptitude shown in the performance of Blairs governance, humour appears to be the best outlet to vent your spleen, thats all i have left, sorry. but let me remind you if i may. the 45 minute claim, the iraq war, thousands killed, the collapse of the pension fund, spin, doctor kelly, cash for honours, prisons full, crime, little old dears living in fear of out-of- control youths, immigration, er the list is endless; one good thing the Blair govt introduced was the minimum wage, other than that, well i am still waiting to be converted to the virtues of this govt, mostly because all i see is hacks of poor quality running the show. As for
Gordon Brown, well if you don't see it, maybe ignorance is bliss after all..

  • 14.
  • At 04:14 PM on 28 Jun 2007,
  • Joseph wrote:

#13.eee aarrrgh donkey wrote:
Very apt name if I may say so.

Do you think I am unaware of all that. It has gone, it is in the past, move on, we have heard it all before. Quite a lot true, the remainder pure exageration.
Leave it behind you. A new era is begining..I heard people like you spout on after the first Labour win, "we would have millions more unemployed due to the minimum wage" etc etc...where are they?
You perhaps want to remain in the last century I for one do not.
People will never covert a stubborn donkey, keep your head in the sand.
I will not even try to debate with you it is not possible to hold a rational discussion with a closed confrontational mind such as yours.

  • 15.
  • At 05:42 PM on 28 Jun 2007,
  • Joseph wrote:

# 13. At 03:17 PM on 28 Jun 2007, eee aarrrgh "THE" donkey wrote:

What a first class job you made of proving my point for me.
Well done..I rest my case.

  • 16.
  • At 08:48 PM on 28 Jun 2007,
  • wrote:

Beware covert donkeys bearing gift horses. Oh, and the eyeds of march.

  • 17.
  • At 12:53 AM on 29 Jun 2007,
  • eee aarrrgh donkey wrote:

Joseph, you should not read to much in a post name, i will come back to that irrelevant titbit later.

my original post at 11:

"I had a lump in my throat and my eyes were watering whilst watching Tony's departure.
I was choking on a wine gum."

well i admit, its a bit trite that comment, but i certainly did not expect a somewhat irrational response to my original post; let me point out to you, just in case your still confused, it was a joke, a little satirical dig at recent events that we have all witnessed unfold on our tv screens, some call it humour,ha ha, belly laugh and all that, though you clearly didn't chuckle at it, you just jumped up in defence of our glorious leaders(Blair/Brown).

In your comments, in particular, you litter your post with assumptions about my political beliefs based mostly on my 'eee aarrrgh donkey' name; very strange, i could call myself Julius Caeser, would i then be a Roman emperor, obviously not, but you would no doubt accuse me of giving cleopatra a hard time, and i should leave her alone, oh and 'stop living in the past' would be your next line. Where do you go with this? and how does one respond to your wild assumptions. I could ridicule you, your deluded white wash view of the Blair years(iraq aint over yet buddy) or your optimistic view on Gordon premiership, but i wont, because i don't want to get red carded ... moderators lurk in the shadows on here.

my post name is a nod to a chap who had a catch phrase, a work horse of an entertainer( clue, vic and bob show= peter). So joseph, husband of mary, step father of jesus, knock us up a chair, mahogony please and can you get the young lad to carve his initiles on it for me.. chill Joseph, chill..

Thanks to post 16 for inspiration;

  • 18.
  • At 09:50 AM on 30 Jun 2007,
  • Claudio Frasca-Polara wrote:

The Blair premiership - how unfathomable the superficiality of most politicians.

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