Tony Blair: "Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise, That last infirmity of noble mind"… John Milton

I use an old stage director’s trick to help make up my mind about people who somehow raise a question mark. To get it to work, I imagine the person in question within the proscenium, picture frame, of an old fashioned theatre - often as not their true character begins to emerge. Everything about them sharpens into significance and becomes as clear as if they were appearing in a play. We have all strutted and fretted our hour upon the stage.  Even in the first hour of our lives we are what I like to think of as a professional baby.  Even when asleep, we give perfect performances of ourselves.

A politician who raised a question mark for me was Tony Blair when urging us to vote for him on his way to becoming leader of New Labour.  Mystified by his popularity, I subjected him to ‘test by theatre’. Within the confines of my imagined proscenium arch he came over the footlights as a matinee idol, complete with flashing teeth, a daringly sincere eye and with the two sides to his face both ‘best’ and ever ready to be photographed.  We can all call upon what acting ability we may be blessed with to make a point - I have in mind, teachers and politicians.  I think it must be a rare treat to find someone using politics to forward an acting career.

A well-known rule of thumb tells us that we tend to marry those in whom appear traits and characteristics of our parents, or carers.  At the time of which I speak, it was no secret that Cherie Booth’s dad had been a successful professional actor. Tony Blair was Cherrie Booth’s choice of husband. At the time, I was living and working in Scotland, and must have askit masel, maybe, just a wee bitty, was mistress Booth’s choice influenced by that sma bit something in Tony Blair’s perrson that reminded her of her auld daddy? Och aye, mebbe! I’ll hae a wee dram on that forbye.

I was appalled, though not surprised, when Tony Blair joined President George W. Bush in pouring scorn on the view held by the United Nations' former chief weapons inspector in Iraq, Hans Blix, that Saddam could be disarmed without a war.  It was then that my harmless necessary theatre of fun was overshadowed by the shock and awe of the theatre of war.

Tony Blair appears to me to hug dramatic moments unto himself.  Even to marrying into the family whose antecedent, William Booth shot President Lincoln during a theatrical performance in 1865.  Keep the spotlights on me, seems to be Tony Blair’s slogan

I wonder if the danger to us, let alone his own soul, lies in his not recognising this aspect to his character - he just doesn’t know what a damn good actor he is.  His current performance is that of being our Middle East peace envoy. Give that man an Oscar.