Governance: British Monarchy’s stand and Prime Minister’s stance – A narrow shave

Tony Blair, Prime Minister of United Kingdom, between 1997 and 2007, published his book called ‘A Journey’ on 1 September 2010. He was in the Labour Party in 1994 and transformed it into ‘New Labour’ and held power for a record three successive terms.

The book ‘A Journey’ is a memoir and it is said that within hours of its launch, it became the fastest-selling autobiography of all time in one chain of bookstores. It is an account of Blair’s achievements, and irrespective of whether it is good, bad, or ugly, British governance. It was published in the United States and Canada under the title ‘A Journey: My Political Life’ and in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India.

In September 2010, when Tony arrived for his first book signing at a leading bookshop on O’Connell Street, Dublin, demonstrators opposed to the Iraq War heckled, jeered and threw eggs and shoes at him; but these objects did not hit or touch his body.

The Order of the Thistle

An activist pretended to be a purchaser of the book in order to attempt a citizen’s arrest of Blair for war crimes. Gathered protestors clashed with Irish Police and tried to push over a security barrier outside the shop and move towards him to hit him.

Some of the angry demonstrators — anti-war protestors and Irish republicans opposed to the peace process — shouted abuse at those queuing to meet Tony Blair, calling them “traitors” and “West Brits”. Some people were arrested during the incident and some were released.

In August 2010, he decided the proceeds of all royalties of his book, a sum of £ 4.6m, be utilised to build a sports centre for an injured British armed forces charity – The Royal British Legion.

Renowned Royals and other insiders said that due to the book’s contents, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II would withhold granting him the Order of the Thistle, an honour which is bestowed on the sovereign’s personal prerogative. This is a very rare honour and given almost automatically to leaders of Scottish descent after leaving office.

Blair writes about the British Royal Family, the conversations he had with Elizabeth II. At their first meeting following his election he claims Elizabeth II told him: “You are my 10th Prime Minister. The first was Winston. That was before you were born.”

At the occasion following the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, he says Elizabeth II told him that lessons had to be learned from the way things had been handled after the Princess’s death. Later at a gathering at Balmoral Castle during which Prince Philip manned the barbecue and Elizabeth II donned a pair of rubber gloves to wash up afterwards, Blair writes of how “in a remarkable example of lèse majesté,” the Queen occasionally exhibited “hauteur” towards him.

It was reported that Elizabeth II felt a “profound sense of disappointment” in Blair for breaking with protocol by revealing in his memoirs sensitive details of private conversations he had with her during his time as Prime Minister.

It is generally accepted practice that a Prime Minister does not discuss details of conversations he has with the Queen. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace told the newspaper: “No Prime Minister before has ever done this and we can only hope that it will never happen again.” In the book, a part that particularly distressed the Royals was his description of the delightful way that Prince Philip cooked a barbecue and the Queen cleared up the plates and washed up, described in a rudely dismissive and jeering manner, with his usual egocentricity and insensitivity.

A renowned royal biographer reported: “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if his chances of being awarded the Order of the Thistle have floated to 100 to one because of his cocky references.” A Queen’s cousin said she was sure the 84-year-old monarch would be “disappointed” at Blair’s decision to breach Royal protocol by revealing personal conversations in the Queen’s home.

That’s putting it mildly. Generally, the order of the Thistle is awarded for chivalry and this quality has been conspicuously lacking in Blair’s conduct. Her Majesty can obviously spot an arch-manipulator at 50 paces.

All should applaud the restraint shown by the Queen in merely snubbing Blair, should this honour be withheld. A more fitting punishment would be to incarcerate the treacherous parvenu, behead him and stick his head on Traitors’ Gate. The soldiers he betrayed would then receive justice at last.

The lesson learnt on governance and governing, the so-called punishment, will never be enforced as the Government makes the laws and breaks the laws, but it was very unfortunate that Iraq’s Saddam Husain became the victim and the innocent citizens became the victim of the circumstances.

(The writer is an Independent Researcher and PhD Aspirant/Sri Lanka.)