There has not been much heard from Tony Blair since he left Downing Street last June. He landed a job as a mediator in the Middle East, but his achievements in this post so far have not amounted to an awful lot and for all the talk about road maps to peace when he was in office, movement towards a settlement in that turbulent part of the world is as far away as ever. He is said to be working on his memoirs and has gone onto the lucrative lecture circuit. He has also been appointed as a consultant to an American bank, at a reported annual salary of a million pounds a year. He can cite his successful interventions in Kosovo, in Sierra Leone and in Northern Ireland.
He still has a lot of energy, and whilst not openly canvassing for the new post of President of Europe, an office which is in the gift of the European Union, he has not ruled the possibility out. The EU presidency now rotates around all the member states, each chief executive of national governments holding the position for six months. The Lisbon Treaty proposes to fix the term of office at two-and-a-half years, with the possibility of a second term, not unlike the limit of two consecutive terms in the American or Irish Presidency. For the European post, the people in the EU, will not vote directly. That will be the responsibility of their representatives in Strasbourg and Brussels.
Mr Blair is said to have the support of President Sarhozy of France, but none of the other leaders are expressing any degree of support for the British candidate. On the contrary, there are a lot of reservations about Blair, given that he has proved to be something less than an enthusiastic European.
It would be fair to comment that Britain was even further from the heart of Europe at the end of Mr Blair's ten years' tenure as British Prime Minister. The British have gained exemption from various EU provisions, the 'red line' issues. They have not come in to the Schengen Agreement to allow freedom of movement between member states, and they are no nearer to joining the European Monetary System than ever they were. Mr Blair may blame his Euro-sceptic chancellor, Gordon Brown, and his 'five tests' for the Euro. That defence will not cut much ice with genuine Europhiles, who will feel that Mr Blair for domestic political purposes, always put Europe on the back burner, mindful of the hostility of the British press.
One wonders what Mr Brown makes of all of this. The Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, William Hague, has taunted the PM with the prospect of President Blair sweeping into Downing Street with his entourage, with Mr Brown being obliged to address him as "Mr President." Loud laughter from the Tory benches.
All of this depends upon whether the Lisbon Treaty will be ratified. Of all 27 member states only Ireland will put the terms of the Treaty to a referendum. The outcome, at this stage, is by no means clear. If the Irish people do not endorse the Treaty, that will put a black mark against any campaign by Bertie Ahern for the top European job. Mr Ahern's credentials as a leader of Europe are quite impressive. Ireland has always had successful European presidencies over the years and it was on Mr Ahern's watch that Irish diplomats who put together the former Treaty, agreed by all the member states in 2005. It is not Ireland's fault that the French and the Dutch rejected the Treaty by referendum.
There are also the difficulties faced by the Taoiseach at the Mahon tribunal, probing into the complicated financial affairs of Mr Ahern in the early 1990s. Mr Ahern has sought to have the courts rule that the Tribunal is acting ultra vires, or beyond its remit, in going into several areas of enquiry, which he considers to be off-limits. The High Court ruling and any likely appeal, will at least buy time for Mr Ahern and by the time the Tribunal publishes its findings, Mr Ahern may be in the top posts, or one of the top posts, in the new European dispensation. He has said that, after his three successive election victories, he does not intend to lead his party into a fourth General Election. He will have to give his successor a couple of years to establish himself in his own right, so the timing could be just right for a bid at the European Presidency.
The European Union may wish to dispel any perception that the Union is run by the big boys and may seek to select its first President from within the ranks of the smaller nations. However, there are smaller nations than Ireland, and a lot of the smart money is on the present Prime Minister of Luxembourg.
In evidence the court heard that the action before them had been taken by an aggrieved motorist against the local roads authority, alleging negligence in their responsibility to provide accurate signage to direct motorists, unfamiliar with the area, into the town. The plaintiff had come to the town to present himself for interview for an important post, but because of the delay occasioned by his inability to find the road off the main highway, he had turned up late for his engagement and it was his belief that this apparent unpunctuality had been held against him, giving the panel the impression that he was not organised. Through no fault of his own he had been put into a quandary. "In other words," said the presiding judge, "he didn't know where to turn."
Oscar night has come and gone. The losers can console themselves in that they are in good company. Amongst those who never won an Academy Award (honorary Oscars apart) include Richard Burton, Greta Garbo, Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Mitchum, Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Widmark, Howard Hawks, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift and Edward G Robinson. I could go on.
The Department of Agriculture is worried about the arrival of the bluetongue virus to our shores. Nothing new here. Have they never heard some of our young stand-up comedians?
A new study group to counter binge drinking has been set up by the British government: Prevention, Understanding, Knowledge and Education. Or, for short, PUKE.
From a 'Guardian' website
"Send us your Eco tips and win a flight for two to Dubai."
So Ireland are to send Dustin the Turkey to the Eurovision Song Contest. Revolutionary. Then again Phil Coulter won the contest years ago with another Puppet on a String.
