News about Tony Blair

Media pundits are mostly united in believing that the Tories were hammered last Thursday, and are heading towards a catastrophic defeat at the general election. There's certainly evidence to support this view. In Blackpool South, where there was a lone by-election, Labour enjoyed a massive 26-point swing from the Tories, who were nearly pushed into third place by Reform UK. And although Ben Houchen was re-elected as Tees Valley mayor, the Conservatives were vanquished by Labour in every other mayoral contest, even if the margin of victory was wafer-thin in the West Midlands.

Ipswich Town have been promoted back to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years after a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town. Kieran McKenna's side have enjoyed a fantastic season after emerging as the early favourites to go up under his leadership - despite only just moving up from League One last year - and they've battled all the way to seal their place in the top flight on the final day. The Tractor Boys only needed a point against the Terriers in their last Championship game and they got the job done with a routine victory, though Leeds United's 2-1 loss against Southampton meant they would have gone up anyway. 

The result will send shock waves through the Conservatives in an area which was once a true-Blue Tory heartland where it was unthinkable Labour would win any sort of election. It will raise Labour hopes of taking the Aldershot Westminster seat of Armed Forces Minister Leo Docherty. Aldershot has been a major military base since 1854, but the result comes against a national backdrop of massive cuts to the British Army which has seen it shrink to its smallest size in 200 years.

Do you remember 1997? I certainly do. They were heady days for a young Labour member (I was 32 and I'm counting that as young). Since I'd been eligible to vote, there had only ever been Conservative governments. But all that changed with New Labour. After four successive election defeats, Tony Blair brought hope and expectation.

The early 1990s are back, baby. Here is a game that doesn't just star that decade's favourite reptiles - if you don't count Tony Blair and Bill Clinton - it's also a conversion of a beat-'em-up title that was originally made for arcade cabinets. Just put in another 50p and keep on fighting, retro-style. Except it's not actually a game from the 1990s. The arcade game that has been converted to make the lengthily titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants is from 2017. Its turtles are more modern-looking, iPods to their forbear's Walkmans. The whole thing is slick and colourful and shiny. The only thing that that hasn't been modernised is the gameplay.

The veteran BBC journalist Stephen Grimason who broke news of the historic Good Friday Agreement in April 1998 has died aged 67. The former BBC Northern Ireland political editor passed away following a long-term battle with cancer. Following his iconic three-decade-long career in journalism, Grimason, originally from Lurgan, Co Armagh, later went on to work for the Stormont administration as director of communications. He spoke publicly over the last year about his fight against cancer and said he received well wishes from former Prime Minister Tony Blair among others. In an interview in January when he, along with former UTV political editor Ken Reid, was honoured with the Chancellor's Medal for services to journalism, he described leaving it as 'a bit of a wrench', recalling 'being surrounded by tremendous people'.

Britain's richest gypsy, Alfie Best, spoke exclusively with MailOnline about his departure to Monaco and why he would never move back to 'broken Britain'. In just over two decades he has built an empire of more than 100 mobile home sites from Scotland to Cornwall with 16,000 residents and a staff of 400. Annual profits are £70m a year and the success catapulted him into the Sunday Times rich list as one of Britain's most successful businessman. He revealed that he will never pay UK income tax again as long as he lives, potentially saving himself millions of pounds.

The Prime Minister welcomed to Downing Street the 27-year-old from Worthing, West Sussex, who recently ran the entire length of Africa. Mr Cook then completed the London Marathon last Sunday , just two weeks after finishing his epic 10,000-mile African endurance test. And he appeared more comfortable with today's outing, in comparison to Mr Sunak who sounded a little short of breath at times while keeping up conversation. The Prime Minister shared a five-minute video of their encounter - which also included his admission he took up running to impress future wife Akshata Murthy .

Former Labour minister and crossbench peer Frank Field has died aged 81 following a two-year battle with terminal cancer.

QUENTIN LETTS: Should politicians be allowed to campaign on NHS premises? Lee Anderson (Reform, Ashfield) caused a kerfuffle in the Commons by complaining about a recent election event at his constituency's hospital. It featured Sir Keir Starmer and Labour's health spokesman Wes Streeting, plus a Labour mayoral candidate. Mr Anderson said the event amounted to 'gutter politics' and that the Labour mayoral hopeful, who happens to chair that hospital trust, was using the place as 'a campaign prop'.

Anti-democratic grotesquerie as a drawn-out dance, Westminster last night played parliamentary ping-pong. Similarities to table-tennis were certainly evident. There was spin and point-scoring. Plenty of balls. Maybe even - who knows? - some backhanders. 'Ping!' rang the Commons like an impatient hotel-reception bell. 'Pong!' went the Lords, sniffy as a sewer. Rwanda asylum stand-off, day 740 or thereabouts. Grandees of the judiciary, the civil service and charity worlds were determined to delay the Tories ' Rwanda plan for just a few hours more. Anything to gum up the works. Anything to show the vulgar voters who really runs the show.

Former Newsnight and BBC presenter Emily Maitlis will co-host the election special alongside Channel 4 news presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Hosts of The Rest is Politics podcast Rory Stewart and Tony Blair's former communications chief Alastair Campbell will also form part of Channel 4's team alongside stars of Gogglebox. But it was the inclusion of Crufts presenter and BBC Sports star Balding to analyse incoming data that has left many people on X/ Twitter feeling baffled as one asked is she would be sent to the paddock to check out the form of the runners. Channel 4's early announcement shows a move away from its previous offering of an 'Alternative Election Night' featuring comedians after viewers slated 2019's coverage.

ANDREW PIERCE: As one of the architects of New Labour, the former Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson enjoys an open line to Sir Keir Starmer. The consummate master of political spin and self-styled 'Prince of Darkness', who masterminded Tony Blair's 1997 election victory, was banished to the wilderness during Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. But how long will he be back in favour with Starmer? A few weeks ago, he was back in Labour HQ's bad books when he said that 'Starmer needs to shed a few pounds' to boost his popularity. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting accused Mandelson of 'fat shaming'.

Families of Bloody Sunday victims have said a decision not to prosecute 15 soldiers over perjury is an 'affront to the rule of law'. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has announced 16 people will not be prosecuted over allegations of giving false evidence to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. The decisions relate to 15 former soldiers and one former alleged member of the Official IRA. The PPS has said there was no reasonable prospect of securing a conviction in the cases. Regarded as one of the darkest days of the Troubles, 13 people were killed when paratroopers opened fire on a crowd taking part in a civil rights march in Londonderry on January 30 1972. The Bloody Sunday Inquiry, headed by judge Lord Saville, was announced by former prime minister Tony Blair in 1998 and delivered its findings in 2010 that there was no justification for shooting any of those killed or wounded. Above: Relatives of victims march during the 50th anniversary of the killings in 2022; images from Bloody Sunday (top and bottom right).

The world and his wife are convinced of these two things. The economy is in a dreadful mess. And, largely because of this, Labour will win the election by a huge majority, writes Stephen Glover. It's accepted not just in Labour circles but by many Conservatives that the Tories have squandered 14 years, 'crashed' (a favourite word) the economy, and will be leaving a terrible legacy, which our great-grandchildren will discuss in tones of wonder and amazement. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves never misses an opportunity to harp on this theme. The other day, she declared on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that 'the economic inheritance that the next government will have will be dire... This is the worst economic inheritance since World War II'.

A positively deranged black comedy, behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing over Prince Andrew's bombshell interview and a beautifully appointed British historical drama... there's so much for avid royal watchers to stream right now. We've selected the 20 best royal dramas to watch On Demand - sifting through thousands of options to save you having to lift a regal finger. Looking for a new series or film to stream? Read on to find out the shows worth investing your time in...

You are a regular criminal who accepts arrest as a work danger, and presumably accepts a suspended ­sentence and an odd bit of community service in the same casual manner. We therefore feel obliged to commit you to the absolute minimum term for these offences.' 'Don't do it again,' he says.' Doesn't have the same ring to it somehow, does it? On Monday, Fletch could not be suspended for a five-stretch in Slade Prison, he'd be banned for two years, and sentenced to 120 hours of watering the hanging baskets on Muswell Hill Broadway, but he wouldn't be suspended for five months.

According to a study published yesterday by the Irish think tank Institute of International and European Affairs, Ireland would have to curb public spending and bring about a "immediate, significant decrease" in living conditions if Northern Ireland were to join. According to the report, the basic administrative costs of reunification, the loss of'subvention' payments from the British government, and other adjustments could amount to about €11 billion (£9.5 billion). If Ireland were to harmonize social care, pensions, and public service pay rates in Northern Ireland with those of the Republic, it would rise to around €20.5 billion (£17 billion) (Northern Ireland parliament buildings in Stormont pictured).

For all the portraits, buses, and fine furniture, I have no doubt that it will be the personal stuff that has lingers longest in the public's memory. It is usually the tell-tale signs of family life - a wedding photo, perhaps, or even a trampoline in a ducal garden - which always grab the attention. Balmoral Castle is, above all, a family retreat, as the first busload of tourists arrives for the first time when the King opens its doors to the paying public for the first time. This is without a doubt the country's most famous castle, with its position as the home of our country's longest-serving monarch departed this life for the next (still doing her duties to the end). It has been revived in a number of dramas and films, and it has appeared in several popular memoirs. However, to the Royal Family, it is synonymous with escape, peace, secrecy, and happy memories.

The Prime Minister has stated that he hasn't decided when Britain will go to the polls to determine who will rule the country. However, when election fever takes over and battle buses are fuelled, Mr Sunak (pictured with Boris, and inset) says the ex-PM might accompany him on his tours around the country, rallying behind Labour in the polls. Mr Johnson could be deployed in battleground seats in an attempt to stem the tide against Labour, which is on track to defeat Tony Blair's New Labour in 1997, overturning the 80-seat majority.

Rowan Lascelles, if appearances and lineage were the only way to judge a man, seemed to have it all. He has a distinguished aristocratic name and an ancestral home that is one of Britain's finest architectural treasures, as well as a world-class collection of works of art. Lascelles was one of 25 figures assembled in a unique photo collage created by the magazine Country Life to celebrate Queen Victoria's death 100 years ago.

Official estimates show that standing down will cost an average of £116,000 per MP. The sum includes staff redundancy, the cost of closing down an office, data destruction, and winding-up payments to MPs - akin to redundancy. Last year, the severance bill was doubled to more than £19,000, with MPs being paid for four months rather than two as they closed their office and monitor employee departures. Both MPs are eligible for the benefit if they vote in a general election.

The winning rowing crew grabs their cox and 'dunk' him or her in the Thames at the medals and photography sessions. However, this unique British tradition is now in danger, as rowers were recently advised that the river is so filthy that they could risk contracting E.coli if they swam in it. What a tragic depiction of the appalling failures of Britain's top water supply, which has been pumping this historic waterway with raw sewage. However, Thames Water is not limited to an unscrupulous serial polluter. It's also a financial basket case.

Sam Bankman-Fried was politically savvy, leveraging donations to 'gain clout' for both groups and planning a career in which he believed he had a 'five percent chance of being president.' All of it came down in December 2022 after his multi-billion dollar crypto exchange collapsed, and he was arrested in the Bahamas and charged with campaign finance theft and fraud. In addition, he paid out $27 million to Protect Our Future PAC, a group supporting pandemic readiness, and $6 million to the Future Forward PAC in 2020, which funded Biden's presidential bid in 2020.