True substance behind that grin

By Richard Ferrer - Thursday 2nd 2010f September 2010

You need guts to be prime minister. Judged at home and abroad, sometimes you have to make unpopular decisions and take full responsibility for the consequences.

In his time as leader of this country, and ever since, Tony Blair has been accused of many things. It may have been be fashionable to scoff at New Labour's predilection for spin ­ and its fondness for the magic soundbite but the tumultuous events of the decade in which he led this country saw Blair emerge as a strong and serious leader.

He may still grin just a little too widely for some people's taste, but in the cut and thrust of the political process ­ at home and abroad ­ he was a leader who showed true substance.

Blair's memoir, published this week, offers a chance to reflect on his legacy ­ his triumphs and achievements, mistakes and regrets ­ and, above all, his most controversial decisions.

He faced his toughest challenge when he took this country to war against Iraq. Unlike much of the electorate, who remain blissfully naïve about the consequences of terror, Blair instinctively recognised the grave global danger posed by extremists and had the courage to act.

He was also brave enough to repeatedly emphasise that the terrorism Israel faces is but one offshoot from a phenomenon that threatens the entire western world. It is a highly unfashionable truth. After all, in what must surely be one of the greatest PR victories of modern times, the Palestinian cause has become the darling of the same left-leaning middle classes that once made up the backbone of Blair's treasured New Labour.

Today, as his autobiography flies off bookshelves here in London, Blair is in Washington in his role as the Quartetıs Middle East representative ­ orchestrating the first direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians in
18 months.

Throughout his time in Downing Street he was keen to emphasise the importance and closeness of the relationship between Britain and Israel. The Anglo-Jewish community, which was battered by a seemingly relentless tide of anti-Israel feeling in much of our national media during his time in office, sometimes forgets just how strong that relationship fundamentally is.

Blair was a leader brave enough to keep it that way.

Indeed, he often paid the price for such loyalty. As he notes in his absorbing memoir: "As one of the few people ready to understand their [Israel's] point of view, I suffered accordingly."