Tony Blair: ‘I would have stayed if I could, is the truth’
Ahead of the publication of his book about leadership – definitely not aimed at Keir Starmer – the former prime minister talks about relinquishing power, why he’s not fazed about a second Trump term and being an AI evangelist
Were you to board an aeroplane piloted by a man who has never previously sat in a cockpit, you’d be alarmed. Were you to face surgery by a woman with no medical qualifications, you’d be frightened. Politics is the one profession that can put someone in a position of great power and responsibility without any prior experience or demonstration of ability. “It’s bizarre,” Tony Blair says. “In any other walk of life, that doesn’t happen.” When he became prime minister in 1997 he was in his early forties and an absolute neophyte at governing. He was much better at it, he believes, towards the end of his decade at No 10 than at the outset. So he’s written a book about the dos and the don’ts of leadership “because government is a science as well as an art”.
In the first flush of taking power, leaders “listen eagerly” because they grasp that they know little or nothing about governing. In the second stage, they know enough to think they know everything and become impatient with listening. Hubris becomes a danger, inviting nemesis. “You’ve got some experience, but your experience makes you believe that you know more than you actually do. And that’s the risk. That’s why I say stage two is the most difficult and many people never get to stage three.” Maturity comes with the realisation that what they know is not the sum total of political knowledge. Once again, “with more humility”, they listen and learn.
Continue reading...Date: |
Topics
-
ESPN - Sports
Akanji on football calendar: I could retire at 30
Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji has joked that he could retire at the age of 30 as a result of the increasing number of matches in elite football's calendar.13 minutes ago -
BBC News - Top stories
'I got a £44,000 student loan - now I owe £54,000’
The new repayment rate for student loans started this month but for some graduates the debt pile keeps growing.15 hours ago -
MarketWatch - Business
‘I have zero regrets’: I’m 84 and estranged from my two adult sons. My 48-year-old wife will get my seven-figure estate. Is that selfish?
“My will and trust will exclude everyone that carries my family name.”4 hours ago -
BBC News - Top stories
I always win things in second year - Postecoglou
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou says "I always win things in my second year" after their 1-0 north London derby defeat by Arsenal.18 hours ago -
BBC News - Top stories
The Perfect Couple: I liked that my character was objectified
Indian actor Ishaan Khatter plays the role of Shooter in the most-watched Netflix mystery drama.3 hours ago -
The Guardian - World
I worship Nigella Lawson. But I disagree with her – very strongly – about eating in bed | Emma Beddington
The TV chef’s go-to recipe for dining under the duvet is pasta in a bright red sauce. Picturing the consequences chills me to the bone. Possibly the least surprising revelation from the Times’s ...4 hours ago -
BBC News - Top stories
I was told I had four days to live, says Lib Dem deputy leader
The Liberal Democrat deputy leader tells her party's conference about living with Crohn's disease.2 hours ago -
ESPN - Sports
Arteta: I lost sleep over selection for Spurs win
Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal's availability problems led him to lose sleep in the build-up to Sunday's north London derby at Tottenham but hailed his team's resilience as they secured a vital ...13 minutes ago
More from The Guardian
-
The Guardian - World
Biden says Secret Service ‘needs more help’ after second Trump assassination attempt – live
President calls for more security resources for Secret Service after second apparent assassination attempt on Trump in two months. Suspect arrested after apparent assassination attempt on ...16 minutes ago - Joe Biden -
The Guardian - World
Violence and instability have become a feature, not a bug, of US political life
Second apparent attempt on Trump’s life comes as the US braces for what has been dubbed ‘a tinderbox election’. It has happened again. Another serene and sunny weekend. Another lone suspect ...7 hours ago -
The Guardian - World
‘Putin, here I am’: man accused of targeting Trump had ‘delusional ideas’ about helping Ukraine
Ryan Wesley Routh spoke to the Guardian in April 2022 when he arrived in Kyiv with a plan to ‘stand with Ukrainians’ . In April 2022, a little over a month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a ...2 hours ago - Donald Trump -
The Guardian - World
At least 16 people killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
Five women and four children among dead with one strike hitting residential building in crowded Nuseirat camp. Middle East crisis – latest news updates At least 16 people have been killed in ...1 hour ago - Israel -
The Guardian - World
Death toll reaches 16 as ‘dramatic’ flooding in central Europe continues
The Czech Republic, Poland and Austria fear worst may yet be to come as thousands are evacuated to higher ground. The death toll from torrential rain and flooding in central and eastern Europe has ...2 hours ago