Tony Blair's "farewell tour" isn't value for money

June 2007

It has been reported that Tony Blair’s “farewell tour” is costing £1 million. If so, one of Gordon Brown’s last acts as Chancellor should be to check whether we are getting value for money.

Take the recent G8 summit of the world’s eight richest nations – including Britain. Friends of the Earth lambasted their agreement on cutting carbon emissions as devoid of any actual targets and “weak and lacking in substance.”

And commenting about aid to developing nations, at the G8, Bob Geldof who has been supportive of the PM in the past said “This wasn't serious, this was a total farce” - with the BBC News website reporting that there was an “acknowledgement that the G8 members had not met their 2005 commitments.”

So, as with domestic policy, it must be said that on the world stage too, Blair has fallen woefully short of what he could have achieved.

Just before Tony gets his P45 as PM, he will be attending the EU summit in Germany where a key issue will be the possible revival of the EU constitution or something close to it. Blair should make it clear, that anything which substantially changes the constitutional basis of the EU should and will be put before the people of this country for them to vote on in a referendum.

Turning to Portsmouth, I was sorry that the Standards Board for England recently disqualified my colleague Phil Shaddock from being a councillor for three months. I, of course, do not condone any angry words or inappropriate behaviour towards council officers but in my opinion and that of many others, Phil has only ever wanted to do what he thought was best for local people. And my office has been inundated with letters on how hard Phil worked for local people in his ward. It was also the shortest period the Board have disqualified a councillor on a main council for. Even opposition councillors commenting in the News, agreed that Phil had his heart absolutely in the right place. He continues to have my absolute support and I and many Fratton residents hope that he will back as a councillor soon.