Blair’s Welsh problem

Is Tony Blair a racist? The question is so absurd that it hardly merits a response. But that hasn’t stopped North Wales police from launching a six-month investigation into whether Blair shouted “f—ing Welsh” at his TV seven years ago. Today’s Times of London updates us on this absurd saga.

The back story is that Labour was underperforming in an election in Wales, and on election night Blair allegedly swore at the TV in frustration at Labour’s poor performance. The source on this allegation is Lance Price, a former New Labour spin doctor. Price wrote a tell-all about his three years—1998 to 2001—in Downing Street. It included tabloid friendly revelations like the fact that two Labour officials had sex on the sofa in Blair’s office on election night 2001, which allowed Price to fetch a pretty penny for the serialization rights. (It is thought that the right-wing Mail on Sunday paid at least £150,000 for them.)

The phrase “f—ing Welsh” doesn’t appear in the book as Downing Street took issue with it and so the sentence actually read, “TB f-ing and blinding about the whole thing.” But the Mail on Sunday reported on Downing Street’s objections, leading to the launch of this riddiculous investigation.

Maybe, someone should investigate North Wales police for wasting taxpayers’ money.