Blair's Blag

by Graham Davies

Whether he was telling the truth or not, Tony Blair gave his evidence to the Chilcot Enquiry with his usual distinctive presentational style.

He has mastered the knack of forcing a pause before he answers a question under pressure. He uses that moment to make sure that the first line of his answer is firm and compelling. For instance, when asked about the notorious three-quarters of an hour that it alllegedly would have taken Iraq to launch an attack on the UK, he said:

I must say right at the outset that this 45 minute number has taken on vastly more significance in retrospect than it ever did at the time.

He also managed to use the same open hand gestures as he always did when addressing audiences in far more relaxed circumstances. The tan suits him and the graying hair suggests that sponsorship from Grecian 2000 would be a sound commercial move.

Overall, he is still at the top of his presentational game....even though he will find it difficult to get anyone to vote for him ever again in any context whatsoever.