Tony Blair's handsome tribute to Gordon Brown

'My friend of twenty years... strong... sound in his convictions... every quality to mark him out as a great Prime Minister for our country... his best is as good as it gets...'

Tony Blair (who didn't mention Harriet Harman) only gave a short speech and disappeared off the stage with a video separating his departure and Brown's speech.

...Blair back on after video to embrace Brown.  Massive Union Jack on the video screen.

Comments

[sadly, it's time to flog a tory victory on betfair - we're finished]

Cameron has wasted nearly 2 years - not one major breakthrough other than the dubious "success" of aligning with the Green movement which is a second order priority for most people outside London media world.

We are about to be smashed by Brown who has ten times the brains and ability of anyone in the Shadow Cabinet.

Sad but we better face facts - it's all down hill from here. Time to start thinking about what real modernisation will require post-election and WHO could deliver it.

[malcolm]

Pass the sick bag someone. Why do politicians go through with charades (was going to use another word but Editor would not like it) like this? Is anyone ever fooled?

[Chris Palmer]

Sadly, Malcolm, some people probably will believe it. That is spin for you, and BBC News 24 appeared to be lapping it all up.

[John]

Sadly.....@15:59

Giving up before the battle begins is not good politics. There is a long way to go.

What is clear is that the party leadership have got much to do.

We can only hope they are up to it!

[Jack Stone]

New Labour can teach the party a lot. They have won three election victories uniting around a leader most mistrusted and many disagreed with.They had the sense, which many in the Conservative Party do not have, to realise that you only change things, if you are in power.

[Paul Kennedy]

I see Mrs B wasn't there to see her husband praise Mr Brown.....guess she was busy doing the packing up.

[Editor]

Tony Blair did well today. Very generous but brief tribute to Brown. He didn't hog the limelight in a Clinton-like way.

[Patsy Sergeant]

If 'sadly...' is serious then it/he/she needs to take an emetic or go join another party. Yuk, how passive!

[Scotty]

Glad I missed the speech, and I see Malcolm beat me to it with the "sick bag".
This will be the same two "friends" who have plotted, briefed and stabbed each other in the back on numerous occasions. Was Brown's smile as big as the one he had when seen driving away from Downing Street after the attempted coup against Blair in the Autumn?
Be interesting to see how Blair handles the media in the next few months. Hopefully he and Cherie will enjoy chatting about Brown and his extremely rare loyalty and support over the last 12 years.

[Robin Millar]

"He didn't hog the limelight in a Clinton-like way."

A post from the pen of Rip van Winkle, surely, Editor!

[Traditional Tory]

We are about to be smashed by Brown who has ten times the brains and ability of anyone in the Shadow Cabinet.

Not true of Hague and Davis, but sadly close to the mark as far as the Cameroons are concerned.

As Simon Heffer has - as ever - correctly stated:

It was rather rich, I thought, that the Tories should attack Mr Brown for going outside his tent to look for ministers on the grounds that he has so little talent to choose from within it.

One glance down the list of the shadow cabinet confirms the difficulty of finding not just people you would want to run the country, but people you would want to park your car for you, on the Tory front bench.

Should Dave seize power, even Sir Ming might be in with a chance of a job.

[Michael Davidson]

The Union Flag backdrop was impressive - we'll never get that under Cameron as it's not PC enough sadly.