Search

The article discusses the week in which Tony Blair's son was arrested, a former ally accused him of being malicious and his plan to introduce instant fines was ridiculed.

Tony Blair, UK Labour Party leader, and members of his entourage have been establishing relations with the traditionally pro-Conservative press, including the Daily Mail, The Sunday Times and the Sun. The party hopes that its relations with the press will also have an impact on radio and television coverage. Pro-Conservative newspapers are disillusioned with the delay of the Conservative government in bringing about economic recovery. They are also responding to the personality of Blair and appreciate the attitude of the Labour Party towards newspaper and television proprietors.

The Labour Party is worried that people may not vote because they think a Labour victory is a foregone conclusion. Newspapers lose circulation during elections and do not cover campaigns very enthusiastically.

The author of a book about the British Labour Party explains the motivation behind writing it.

A government minister argues that the Labour Party has been misrepresented by the media and it deserves credit for all it has achieved.

The article discusses the damage being done to Tony Blair by the Philip Gould memos which are being leaked to the media.

Newspapers have reported that Tony Blair's popularity has fallen by 25% and ministers are avoiding mentioning health as an issue because it has become a major problem. The media has relished printing horror stories of people dying as they wait for treatment and 13 hour waits for a bed. Newspapers have also started comparing Britain's health spending with that of Europe. Normally they say very little in favour of Europe. It may be more useful if they start looking at who is responsible for medical delays and mistakes instead of merely blaming the government for everything.

Press Secretary, Alastair Campbell, would like to have a media which was controlled completely by the government so that it could deliver news that it thought important in a way that suits the best interests of government. He does not like the way that the tabloid media treats political issues. However, the Labour Party went straight to the 'Daily Mail' when it wanted to publicize the need for welfare reform because they knew this tabloid would focus on scroungers and frauds. The complex details of the reforms were conveniently not dealt with.

Labour leader, Tony Blair, cannot understand why the media treats his party so badly when they have delivered on their election promises, given pay increases to teachers and nurses and the economy is buoyant. The media is annoyed because the Labour Party decided it was not going to operate within the national media but shortly afterwards Tony Blair appeared on a morning television chat show. Labour had no qualms about using the media when it was in opposition to expose Tory weaknesses yet now it takes offence when the same is done to them.

The problems between members of the Labour Party are of little interest to most of the population but the media continues to dwell on it. This is similar to the political problems in the United States where most of the people want the impeachment proceedings to end but the media is making a lot of mileage out of it. People have become very confused about who has done what or what side they are on. British politics is becoming similarly complicated and journalists are as caught up in the intrigue as many of the political players.

The UK Labour Party suffered much bad publicity in early January 1998. Issues covered in the media included the disclosure that the Home Secretary, Jack Straw, was the parent of the boy accused of drug dealing, the announcement by Robin Cook, Foreign Secretary, that he will not seek to become First Scottish Secretary, the publication of remarks made by Cook's wife that he had had several affairs during their marriage, and the publication of a biography of Gordon Brown, which indicates that there is tension between cabinet members.

The UK media twisted a response by the Labour Health Secretary, Frank Dobson, following his speech to the Institute of Health Services Management on June 2 1997. When asked if he could eliminate the possibility of making charges under a review of health care spending, Dobson replied in all honesty that he could not eliminate any consideration. The media then reported that the government is planning to bring in a variety of charges.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair did not alter his message following Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general election, primarily because the message contained in his political campaign speeches were genuinely his own beliefs rather than scripted soundbites. Blair refused to act victoriously prior to the announced election result, despite indications that a Labour win was inevitable. He appeared virtually unemotional immediately upon realizing the victory, partly because he was surprised by the scale of the win and partly out of humility.

Labour Party frontbencher Clare Short caused a great deal of harm to the Labour Party through her criticism of party leader Tony Blair and his advisers in an interview in the New Statesman journal. Her views mirror those of the Conservative Party in its anti-Labour political campaign. Short did not reveal the content of the interview prior to its publication. Labour deputy leader John Prescott refuted her allegations but accepted the party had been damaged by them.

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has stated he could conceivably support Labour Party leader Tony Blair, despite the historical antagonism between Labour and Murdoch's traditionally Conservative-supporting newspapers. Murdoch is most keen to protect his business empire and is probably changing allegiance to Labour under Blair as he believes Blair will allow him to continue running his business as he chooses, while he did not believe former Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock would. Blair will benefit from the united loyalty of the party, but will also have to focus on basic political issues such as welfare, employment and taxes.