101 uses for a discarded Tony Blair

Here's a game for everyone to play. What does Tony Blair do once he steps down? Apart from making his successors life a misery, I mean.

Here's my suggestion. The famous leaked Songs of Praise memo described Iraq as "the elephant in the room" and, as the Guardian's Jonathan Freedland argued in his column this week, this description is correct.  The memo author suggests "incorporating Iraq into the media plan". I suggest something a little stronger.

I think that Tony Blair and his advisers should be proud of his stance on foreign affairs and that, after he leaves office, he should set up a foundation dedicated to spreading democracy round the world. The Tony Blair Foundation should be a non-partisan, international campaign that is uncompromisingly outspoken on the need for liberal, democratic regimes to be strong in their support for human rights.

So that's my proposal. Terence Blacker, in an article originally published in the Independent, thinks Tony Blair should take up gardening instead.

And your idea?

Comments

[Matthew Syed]

I remember watching Bill Clinton doing the Dimbleby memorial lecture a few years ago. He came out with a series of policy concepts, finishing each one with the phrase: "We ought to do more of that."

My challenge to a discarded Blair: he should set up a Foundation to conduct research into explaining why it is that politicians get all their best ideas after leaving office...

[Jeff]

Isn't he a natural for PR apologist at the BBC? He could explain why there never was institutional bias against the USA, Israel and anyone not new Labour.

[Harry]

Surely the Blair Foundation, on spreading democracy and combatting totalitarian Islamism, is exactly what he is going to do isn't it?

My preference would actually be for him to become Foreign Secretary in the Brown government but something tells me that might not be very probable.....

[EU Serf]

If he stands down in 2007, that will give him just enough time to become a candidate in the US Presidential Election. They want to chnage the Law so that Arnie can stand, Tony would make the perfect Democrat opponent.

[Peter Briffa]

Celebrity Big Brother starts in January.

[Gabor Kovacs]

A job at the UN, perhaps: special ambassador from the permanent 5 to the Islamic world?

[Alex Swanson]

"The Tony Blair Foundation should be a non-partisan, international campaign that is uncompromisingly outspoken on the need for liberal, democratic regimes to be strong in their support for human rights."

Named after, and run by, the man who's done more to damage democracy and civil liberties in this country than any other person in our history? And who wouldn't understand the concept of human rights if you sat down with him and explained with diagrams? How would that work?

[dizzy]

I have a draft post from the other day which was asking a similar question. Surely the Carlye Group?

[Norbert]

He should definitely stick to his convinctions, and go searcing for WMD in Iraq. I for one shall be very happy to lend him a spade. This would also provide a certain degree of continuity given his long record of digging holes for himself and others.

[Richard]

How about setting up a foundation to donate all the money he and Cherie make from lecture tours to those who have lost homes and/or families as a result of the wars he and his mate Dubya started?

[Albert]

Whitehouse finger puppet.

[Frank Upton]

Alastair Campbell's looking for an assistant.

[Jon Leigh]

Any Estate Agent in France would give him work out of gratitude. By turning the UK into a country that anybody who can leave is doing, he has done wonders for the French property market.

[Phil Dunderdale]

Maybe Tony should go back to school and get some more A'levels. His name isn't too dificult to spell, so he's guaranteed to get at the very least a clutch of B grades.

[Philip Stobbart]

Isn't there a vacancy for Chancellor of the Exchequer coming up? I'm sure they could do a deal, just in case it all gets hairy for Gordon...

[Karen]

Send him to the Artic to promote peace. The further away from Britain the better, but please, please, not America!

[Thomas Carey]

A travelliong double act with Bill Clinton - a kind of statesmanlike Morecambe and Wise Show, with guest appearances by, say, Glenda Jackson, Monica Lewinsky, Peter Mandelson, Bono....

[American Steve]

I wish it was possible to have Mr Blair to come to the U.S. to be our President.

He may be the greatest leader of the free world in my long lifetime.

Pity to waste him on such a sorry political mess you folks in the UK have made for yourself (despite the best work and intentions of Mr. Blair).

[The 3rd Column]

Join Bush (when the latter is out of the White House) in a manhunt for Osama Bin Laden.

[Karen Mutch]

Does he need to do anything? He has worked very hard - love him or loathe him - for 12 years and he has a high earning wife. Why not look after Leo and support his wife's career as she has supported his?

[James]

Somehow I doubt The Smith Institute will have an opening for him...

[Peter]

Schoolteacher in an inner city sink comprehensive. "Education, education, education..."
Or maybe dog trainer, especially of American poodles to even up the odds a bit.

[Edmund Burke]

He has opted to go into history - so let him go. His latest ambition, to save the Middle East, is a childish dream: he is no longer Prime Minister of the UK, and therefore he no longer carries any more political clout, with the parties concerned, than any other journalist. And that's what he now is - a freelance political journalist, without professional training or a newspaper to work for.

[David Louis]

I think Blair should spend the rest of his time apologising to British soldiers, a whole generation of priced out would be home owners, a police state that penalises upstanding citizens, and a completely unsustainable economy, This space is just not large enough.

Sorry it has to be said.