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Press Releases
Five Live asks key players in Blair years to record last message for
departing PM
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Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone delivered a farewell blast to Prime Minister Tony Blair in a message recorded exclusively for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Five Live.
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Bernie Ecclestone said: "You're going to be remembered, regretfully, for all
the wrong things rather than the good things that you've done since
you've been in office and I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking
about.
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"I mean this whole nonsense with Iraq. We should have come out
honestly and said to the public 'look perhaps there was a mistake but we
all make mistakes' and I'm quite sure at the time you didn't have much
choice anyway.
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"But anyway I think it would have been nice if you would
say something like that."
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Mr Ecclestone – whose £1million donation to the Labour Party
embarrassed the Government as it sought to ban tobacco advertising in F1
in 1997 – was speaking as Five Live asked various notables to record a
farewell message summing up the Blair decade as the PM prepares to
announce his resignation.
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The messages, broadcast on Five Live's Election programme,
gave varying verdicts on the record of the Prime Minister.
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Bob Geldof, singer and activist, said about Africa: "There is no shadow of a doubt that if you had
not been Premier for the last ten years that this agenda would have been
completely ignored. It has transformed ignored. It's transformed the
debate, it has transformed whole sections of Africa.
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"I'm absolutely
certain of one thing, had it been anyone else there I don't think we would
have succeeded or have gotten half as far as we've managed to in the last
ten years and for that I'll be forever grateful."
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Alastair Campbell, former Press Secretary to Tony Blair, said: "I think Ireland has been your greatest achievement,"
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"For all the criticism you've taken on Iraq I think history will take a
kinder judgement and stick the course and continue working towards a
lasting peace in the Middle East."
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Trevor Kavanagh, former Political Editor, The Sun, said: "I think you will go down as one of the most brilliant
politicians of your age but you yourself will be disappointed at what
you've achieved in that time – having started with the best of all
possible worlds in terms of authority, majority and economic stability and
really failing to deliver all the things you promised at the very
beginning."
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Boris Johnson, Conservative MP and Shadow Minister, said: "I've got a brilliant plan - I'm going to forgive you for
everything you got wrong from Bernie Ecclestone, the Dome, the Hindujas,
the complete failure to improve the NHS, a lamentable record in education
- I'll forgive you all of these things if you become Britain's next
Ambassador in Baghdad."
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Richard Wilson, actor, said: "You've done wonderful things in terms of Northern
Ireland... and many many things that have helped society. I admire all
that.
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"Of course I have to mention Iraq which I was very unhappy about. I
think you made a big mistake there. But a wonderful ten years. I think
probably, now is time to go however and pass the baton."
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Freddy Shepherd, Chairman of Newcastle United, said: "The last time we met we both said we had impossible
jobs. Unfortunately you're leaving, but I'm still here and we've both
been in the job for ten years... Hope to see you soon at Newcastle."
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David Frum, former speech writer for President George W Bush, said: "[Margaret Thatcher] made mistakes, serious mistakes, as
all prime ministers do. But she had become a symbol to the world of the
greatness of Britain. Your countrymen may not feel that way about you -
yet. So spend as much time as you can with us. We do."
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William Roach, Coronation Street actor, said: "You've removed conviction politics and replaced it with
the politics of expediency which doesn't make for good government."
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"One
of your legacies is earning the label of worst in Europe in so many areas
like schools, hospitals, prisons, immigration, violent crime and pensions
etc... Finally and think your worst legacy of all is Gordon Brown."
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Benjamin Zephania, poet, said: "I can't forget the lies that led us to war... look at
Iraq, now that's your legacy, you messed up Tony, you really messed up."
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Theo Paphitis, businessman, said: "I've done a quick a list of negatives and positive over
your last ten years - negatives I'm afraid are a bit higher than the
positives."
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Glenys Kinnock, Labour MEP, said: "I need to thank you for winning that general election
which brought in a Labour government at last, something that Neil had
worked so hard for for so long."
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Sir Digby Jones, former Director General of the CBI, said: "Tony, as you leave, a
reasonable performance but so many wasted opportunities where you could
have done better." Ìý
Five Live Publicity
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