Exit strategy

The Daily Mirror has published what it claims to be a leaked internal Downing Street memo (here) covering media strategy for the great Tony Blair bow-out due to happen, somewhat mercifully, during the next 12 months or so.

 

Makes entertaining reading. "He needs to embrace open spaces, the arts and businesses, he needs to be seen to be travelling on different forms of transport. He needs to be seen with people who will raise eyebrows .. He needs to travel around the UK to be carefully positioned as someone who while not above politics, is certainly distancing himself from the political village".

 

Makes you realise how much newsflow is orchestrated down to the tiniest detail, even in the post-Alistair-Campbell world. How much of the News at Ten is effectively the News as manipulated by No. 10?

 

The wonders of the modern age, eh? We used to have to wait 25 years for this sort of intrigue, sometimes 50.

 

My favourite bit: "... we know what works well: ... words from TB and real people". Brilliant.