SMF Renounces Blair
Propeller-Head Wonk Watch: The Social Market Foundation was the creation of SDP Owenites financed by Lord Sainsbury. With the election of Blair it became Blairite after losing a few wonks like Danny Finkelstein to the Tories. It was never as "in" as the IPPR and Demos, only producing worthy dull stuff on the welfare state.
Guido wonders what Lord Sainsbury, Tony Blair's biggest sponsor, will make of the event they are holding today in the House of Lords; "The Tragedy of Tony Blair". This following on from Demos renouncing Blairism with the appointment of Madelaine Bunting points to the beginning of an intellectual trend in Wonkland. The distancing of think-tanks from their Blairite third-way policy failures could become a theme over the next year or two. Not sure Lord Sainsbury will be too chuffed, still he can just bung even more money at Progress, the last redoubt of Blairites.
Guido wonders what Lord Sainsbury, Tony Blair's biggest sponsor, will make of the event they are holding today in the House of Lords; "The Tragedy of Tony Blair". This following on from Demos renouncing Blairism with the appointment of Madelaine Bunting points to the beginning of an intellectual trend in Wonkland. The distancing of think-tanks from their Blairite third-way policy failures could become a theme over the next year or two. Not sure Lord Sainsbury will be too chuffed, still he can just bung even more money at Progress, the last redoubt of Blairites.
7 comments:
What is tragic about Tony Blair? The document doesn't specify. I can think of dozens of tragedies associated with the man (quadrupling of violent crime; vandalising the constitution; dumbing down education; Dr David Kelly; strangling the economy in red tape, etc., etc., etc.,), and I wonder which they will be focusing on.
Tragedy implies things could have been better............I think Blair has given it all he has...............which is why it looks so threadbare in the clear light of day without smoke and mirrors
Will they be drinking sainsbury champagne and nibbling on his scotch eggs?
Are you absolutely sure this is going to be anti-Blair event? The main speaker is Rentoul, who is one of Blair's most enthusiastic media apologists.
nibbling on his scotch eggs?
No, they'll be hanging from the bunting
Does Guido know the other use of the letters SMF? He needs to look at some Twisted Sister sites.
Interesting to see that the Social Market Foundation's Director of Development (ie fund raising) is Nina Temple - the last General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain.
She was General Secretary when the "Moscow Gold" story came out - that the CP had been funded by Moscow - although she did not know this.
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