Tony Blair

Anthony (Tony) Charles Lynton Blair (Born May 6 , 1953 ) Politician , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ;

Table of contents

1 Sourced 2 An exchange in the House of Commons, on old Labour 3 Attributed 4 Quotes by others about Blair

Sourced

• Saddam Hussein's regime is despicable, he is developing weapons of mass destruction, and we cannot leave him doing so unchecked...He is a threat to his own people and to the region and, if allowed to develop these weapons, a threat to us also."
  • 10 April 2002, House of Commons

• It [the intelligence service] concludes that Iraq has chemical and biological weapons, that Saddam has continued to produce them, that he has existing and active military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons, which could be activated within 45 minutes, including against his own Shia population; and that he is actively trying to acquire nuclear weapons capability.
  • 24 September 2002, House of Commons

• Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, Saddam has continued to produce them, he has existing and active military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons, which could be deployed within 45 minutes.
  • 2002 Sept 24, Addressing the House of Commons

• The intelligence is clear: (Saddam) continues to believe his WMD programme is essential both for internal repression and for external aggression...The biological agents we believe Iraq can produce include anthrax, botulinum, toxin, aflatoxin and ricin. All eventually result in excruciatingly painful death.
  • 25 February 2003, House of Commons

• If we don't act now, then we will go back to what has happened before and then of course the whole thing begins again and he carries on developing these weapons and these are dangerous weapons, particularly if they fall into the hands of terrorists who we know want to use these weapons if they can get them.
  • 11 March 2003, MTV debate

• We are asked now seriously to accept that in the last few years-contrary to all history, contrary to all intelligence-Saddam decided unilaterally to destroy those weapons. I say that such a claim is palpably absurd.
  • 18 March 2003, House of Commons

• As I have said throughout, I have no doubt that they will find the clearest possible evidence of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.
  • 4 June 2003, House of Commons

• Don't say yes to that question, that would be difficult.
  • 2004 November 13, Mr Blair interrupted when a reporter ask Bush if he sees Blair as his poodle.[1]

• It is not a sensible or intelligent response for us in Europe to ridicule American argument or parody their political leadership.
  • 2004 November 15, Mr Blair during his annual foreign affairs speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet in London urging Europe to stop ridiculing Bush.

• This is the time for this house, not just this government or indeed this prime minister, but for this house to give a lead, to show that we will stand up for what we know to be right, to show that we will confront the tyrannies and dictatorships and terrorists who put our way of life at risk, to show at the moment of decision that we have the courage to do the right thing.
  • The closing of Tony Blair's speech to the House of Commons opening the debate on the 2003 Iraq War

• Do I know I'm right? Judgements aren't the same as facts. Instinct is not science. I'm like any other human being, as fallible and as capable of being wrong. I only know what I believe.
  • 2004 Labour Party Conference, referring to the fact that no WMDs had been found in Iraq.

• He may want to pose as the nice Dr. Jekyll, but we know that, deep down, he is still the same old Mr. Howard [Commons Hansard (26 Nov 2003)]

An exchange in the House of Commons, on old Labour

Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire) (Con): What are the characteristics of old Labour that he dislikes so much? [Interruption.]

The Prime Minister: I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman will have to repeat that.

Sir Michael Spicer: What are the characteristics of old Labour that he dislikes so much?

The Prime Minister: Basically, that it never won two successive terms of Government and, perhaps, that it never put the Conservative party flat on its back, which is where it is now. Thankfully, we are running an economy with low inflation, low mortgage rates and low unemployment; fortunately, we are doing a darn sight better than the Government of whom the right hon. Gentleman was a Member, who had—I thank him for allowing me to mention this—interest rates at 10 per cent. for four years, 3 million unemployed and two recessions. Whether it is old Labour or new Labour, it is a darn sight better than the Tories.

[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/cm050126/debtext/50126-03.htm#column_294 Commons Hansard, 26 Jan 2005 : Column 302]

Attributed

"A day like today is not a day for sound bites really. We can leave those at home. But I feel the hand of history on our shoulder."

On the Good Friday agreement.

Quotes by others about Blair

• Wow, I can't believe we just met Mr Bean !
  • Homer Simpson's comment after meeting Tony Blair
• Both Bush as well as Tony Blair are undermining an idea (the United Nations), Is this because the secretary general of the United Nations (Ghanaian Kofi Annan) is now a black man? They never did that when secretary generals were white. -- Nelson Mandela