Meet the new Labour adviser: Tony Blair

[dipsydoodle]

Tony Blair is to be given his first formal role in the Labour party since retiring from frontline politics, when he stepped down as prime minister five years ago, as an adviser to Ed Miliband's policy review.

The former prime minister will be giving specific advice on the Olympic legacy and in particular how to "maximise both its economic and its sporting legacies", Miliband said on Wednesday.

The role reflects Blair's part in the successful 2005 bid to host the Games and his sporting foundation, one of his key charitable causes in his retirement.

Blair will be reunited with leftwinger Jon Cruddas, a former aide, who was brought in by Miliband to head the policy review. Cruddas spoke recently of "reforming the band" – bringing together leading lights of New Labour – in support of Miliband.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jul/11/labour-adviser-tony-blair

[non sociopath skin]

1. Poor bugger, he must need the money.

Why doesn't he just f-f-f-f-fade away?


The Skin

[dipsydoodle]

2. f-f-f-f

Reminds me of the odd occasions here I get away with saying can't here.

[T_i_B]

3. Let's hope his involvement goes no further then this.

I think a lot of questions about how to manage the Olympic legacy might well be settled by the time Labour next get back in power.

And there are actually worse people Ed Miliband could have chosen for this role. Tessa Jowell, Richard Caborn and Clive Betts for starters.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. "Why the return of Tony Blair isn’t worth worrying about"

Well, I hope Sunny is right about this:

The media love regurgitating the ‘return of Blair’ every few months, but most people have missed the point again – Blair was invited to a fund-raiser.

In essence, Ed Miliband is tapping Tony Blair to get more donations into the party and ease the party’s cash crunch.

Blair likes feeling important so he obliges, in the hope he remains in the limelight for a bit longer and someone asks his view on policy. But even he said last night: “So Ed, you don’t need my advice but you will have my support.”

This marks a coup for Ed Miliband, who has managed to disavow many of Blair’s policies (and Iraq of course) without sparking a civil war within the party. Miliband now has to walk a tightrope to ensure that Blair’s support doesn’t actually turn off more voters than it attracts.

http://liberalconspiracy.org/2012/07/12/why-the-return-of-tony-blair-isnt-worth-worrying-about/

[LeftishBrit]

5. Ugh. Well, at least if his role is confined to the Olympics, he can't cause THAT much harm.

I hope, anyway.