by Tom Bower
TB under attack from, 1, 2;
Brown leaks handover deal to, 1;
Brown discusses tuition fees vote with, 1;
urges on Brown in fight with TB, 1
Bank of England, independence, 1, 2, 3; King’s inexperience, 1
banking crisis (2008), 1, 2, 3
Barak, Ehud, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Barber, Lionel, 1
Barber, Michael: books by, 1; persuades TB to run education by targets and statistics, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7;
other beliefs about education, 1, 2, 3;
and A-levels, 1;
and Independent Learning Accounts, 1;
helps monitor immigration figures, 1, 2;
to administer NHS targets, 1;
Delivery Unit’s remit, 1;
and NHS, 1, 2;
praises Brown’s prudence, 1;
and education targets, 1;
unreliability of methods and data, 1;
on Morris–Adonis split, 1;
makes presentation on asylum-seeker statistics, 1;
reports progress on health statistics, 1;
lack of focus on finances, 1;
NHS target system loses popularity, 1;
appears to show improvement in education performance, 1;
blamed by teachers for declining standards, 1;
party piece, 1;
education statistics plateau, 1;
resigns, 1, 2;
achievements assessed, 1;
misleading nature of education statistic presentations, 1;
drawback of his targets, 1
Barton, Rod, 1
Basra: conditions round, 1; initial British control, 1;
British aid attempts, 1;
TB visits, 1;
situation deteriorates for British army, 1, 2, 3;
British military police murdered, 1;
communications with Northwood, 1;
calibre of British commanding officers, 1;
TB and Fry ignore chaos, 1;
snatch of two undercover SAS soldiers, 1;
British helicopter shot down, 1;
deteriorating situation, 1, 2;
Operation Salamanca, 1;
Operation Sinbad, 1, 2;
British retreat to Basra airport, 1
Bassett, Phil, 1
Battle, John, 1, 2, 3
BBC: and 1997 general election, 1; and the immigration debate, 1;
and Gilligan–Kelly affair, 1, 2;
Labour bias, 1;
and Hutton inquiry and report, 1, 2
Beckett, Margaret: character, 1; appointed trade and industry secretary, 1;
effect on her department, 1;
and energy policy, 1, 2;
replaced by Mandelson, 1;
and foot-and-mouth epidemic, 1;
performance as minister for environment and agriculture, 1;
attitude to nuclear power, 1, 2, 3, 4;
placated by TB in advance of Iraq invasion, 1;
reaction to Commons vote for war, 1;
achievements at DEFRA assessed, 1;
appointed foreign secretary, 1;
and Iraq, 1
Beckham, David, 1
Beckham, Victoria, 1
Bell, David, 1, 2, 3, 4
Bender, Brian: and EU single currency, 1; and Ecclestone scandal, 1;
and foot-and-mouth epidemic, 1, 2, 3;
on Beckett, 1
Benedict XVI, Pope, 1
Benn, Tony, 1
Berlusconi, Silvio, 1, 2, 3
Berwick, Don, 1
Bevins, Anthony, 1
Bexley Business Academy, 1
Bichard, Michael: and education policy, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; TB’s growing closeness to, 1;
frustration with targets, 1;
replaced by Normington, 1;
considered for post of Cabinet secretary, 1
Bigley, Ken, 1
bin Laden, Osama, 1, 2, 3, 4
Birt, John: donates to Labour Party while still employed by BBC, 1; TB asks to draft plan to strengthen PM’s office, 1;
‘blue-sky’ report for Home Office, 1;
and health policy, 1;
TB asks to draft secret nuclear energy plan, 1;
legacy of political bias at BBC, 1;
TB asks to solicit five-year plans from departments, 1;
and energy policy, 1, 2, 3
Black, Dame Carol, 1
Blackburn, 1
Blackhurst, Chris, 1
Blair, Cherie (née Booth; CB): character, 1, 2, 3; children’s education, 1;
holidays, 1;
unhappiness as PM’s wife, 1;
and Ecclestone scandal, 1;
on Guthrie, 1;
dinner with Clintons, 1;
at handover of Hong Kong to Chinese, 1;
holidays, 1, 2;
consoles Mandelson after his resignation, 1;
holidays, 1;
continuing jealousy of Hunter, 1;
visits Kosovan refugee camp, 1;
at Millennium Dome for New Year’s Eve, 1;
stopped for travelling without ticket, 1;
criticised for holidaying while Euan takes exams, 1;
another argument about TB’s staff, 1;
and front cover of Readers’ Wives, 1;
US visit to meet Bush, 1;
asks again for Hunter to be sacked, 1;
holidays, 1;
Hunter still an irritant, 1;
holidays, 1;
trip to India with TB, 1;
Bristol flats scandal, 1, 2;
relationship with Caplin, 1;
relationship with TB, 1;
relationship with Brown and Campbell, 1;
persuades TB to take tough line with Brown, 1;
accompanies TB on Washington glory trip, 1;
Marie Claire photo shoot, 1;
and TB’s political allegiance, 1;
watches Commons debate over Hutton report, 1;
tries to stop TB resigning, 1;
thwarted desire to launch ship, 1;
holidays, 1;
Ant and Dec give underwear gift, 1;
boasts about TB’s sexual performance, 1;
money-making plans, 1;
bill for hair stylist during 2005 campaign, 1;
speaks to BBC about TB’s likely length of tenure, 1;
holidays, 1;
denigrates Brown at 2006 party conference, 1;
her farewell to the media, 1;
desire for wealth, 1;
and TB’s commercial work, 1, 2;
furnishes South Pavilion, 1;
own commercial activities, 1, 2;
denies TB having affair with Strauss, 1;
Gaddafi donates to one of her foundations, 1;
and the Murdochs, 1;
denies TB having affair with Deng, 1;
sixtieth birthday party, 1
Blair, Euan, 1, 2
Blair, Ian, 1
Blair, Kathryn, 1, 2
Blair, Leo, 1
Blair, Nicholas, 1
Blair, Tony (TB) EARLY LIFE: education, 1, 2, 3
FIRST TERM: overview, 1;
takes office and establishes government style, 1, 2, 3;
core team, 1, 2, 3;
red box work, 1;
selects new Cabinet secretary, 1;
relationship with Brown, 1, 2, 3, 4;
modernisation strategy, 1, 2, 3;
holidays, 1;
Diana’s death, 1;
Downing Street flat, 1;
problems with CB, 1;
other problems, 1;
Ecclestone scandal, 1;
developing interest in foreign moral crusades, 1, 2;
Robinson scandal, 1;
father’s stroke, 1;
holidays, 1;
Brown’s conviction he should have been PM, 1;
worsening relationship with civil service, 1, 2;
more scandals, 1, 2;
holidays, 1;
Simon tries to help wit
h management issues, 1;
Brown’s role in Mandelson’s first resignation irreparably damages relationship with Brown, 1;
Richard and Judy interview, 1;
reshuffle, 1;
criticised for perceived elitism, 1;
holidays, 1;
confusion over personal agenda, 1;
social equality agenda, 1;
embarks on foreign wars with campaigns in Iraq and Kosovo, 1;
his Messiah complex develops, 1;
forces of conservatism speech, 1;
relationship with Brown, 1, 2;
popularity problems, 1;
Cockerell film, 1;
and fuel-delivery lorry drivers’ protest, 1;
minor engagements in East Timor and Sierra Leone, 1;
2001 general election, 1;
more rows with Brown, 1;
Mandelson’s second resignation, 1, 2;
befriends Desmond, 1;
meets Bush for first time, 1;
foot-and-mouth epidemic, 1, 2;
another row with Brown, 1
SECOND TERM: overview, 1;
retreats from sending Brown to Foreign Office, 1;
holidays, 1;
decides to stand firm against Brown’s demand for his resignation, 1;
Brown goes in for backstabbing, 1;
sets up three Downing Street divisions to manage and modernise the government, 1;
instantly pledges support for Bush in wake of 9/11, 1;
attack strengthens his feelings against Iraq, 1;
build-up to Iraq war, 1;
holidays, 1;
his secrecy about his plans, 1, 2, 3;
commits to Iraq invasion as key player, 1;
flies to meet Bush, 1;
unconditional guarantees to him, 1, 2, 3;
more fights with Brown, over NHS and succession in particular, 1;
Mittal donation scandal, 1;
problems with Byers, 1;
considers not fighting 2005 election, 1;
NHS reorganisation rows, 1;
money problems start to loom, 1;
row with Brown over foundation hospitals and tuition fees, 1;
build-up to Iraq war continues, 1;
continuing secrecy and lack of proper advice, 1, 2;
brushes aside all warnings, 1;
holidays, 1;
the first JIC dossier, 1, 2, 3;
attempts to persuade Bush to go down UN route, 1;
decides to win over the public before the Cabinet, 1;
tries to prevent leak of foot-and-mouth report, 1;
more failures to confront Brown, 1;
scandals surrounding CB, 1;
again retreats from sacking Brown, 1;
countdown to Iraq war continues, 1, 2;
decides extent of UK involvement in Iraq invasion, 1;
war planning system, 1;
vision of aftermath, 1;
waning influence with USA, 1;
authorises second JIC dossier, 1;
globetrotting to raise support for war, 1;
‘hand of fate’ quote, 1;
discussions about legality of war, 1, 2, 3;
considers resigning, 1;
speech to Commons, 1;
strain of Iraq invasion, 1;
Brown on attack again, 1, 2;
row with Brown over foundation hospitals, 1;
sacrifices Milburn, 1;
wins battles with Brown over education funding, 1, 2;
aftermath of Iraq war, 1;
visits Iraq, 1;
Gilligan and Kelly affair, 1;
glory trip to Washington, 1;
gathers new team round him, 1;
tentative handover deal done with Brown, 1;
Hutton report, 1;
reneges on handover deal, 1;
continues in denial over WMDs and civil war in Iraq, 1;
meets Gaddafi, 1;
row over military funding shows his real impotence vis-à-vis Brown, 1;
struggles to survive, 1, 2;
buys Marble Arch home, 1;
poor health, 1;
pledges more troops for Afghanistan, 1, 2, 3;
Butler inquiry and report, 1, 2, 3, 4;
announces will serve full third term, 1;
holidays, 1;
2005 election, 1;
lack of enthusiasm to carry on, 1;
achievements in first two terms, 1;
attempts to plan legacy, 1;
nominates party donors for peerages, 1;
moves against Brown, with predictable results, 1;
Peston’s book attacks, 1;
makes Brown election supremo, 1;
self-humiliation during campaign, 1;
exhaustion at end of campaign, 1
THIRD TERM: overview, 1;
toys again with idea of sacking Brown, 1;
sets up Cabinet committee to discuss health, 1;
successful Olympic bid and G8 Gleneagles summit, 1;
and 7/7, 1;
reaction to discovery of catastrophic mismanagement of NHS, 1;
moves further into Tory territory, 1;
more arguments over length of tenure and succession, 1;
loses vote on detention of terrorist suspects, 1;
row with Brown over economy and pensions, 1;
pushes for deployment of UK troops in Afghanistan, 1;
once more given poor advice, 1, 2;
changes direction on education policy, 1;
again under attack from Brown, 1;
loans for peerages scandal, 1, 2;
Prescott’s affair, 1;
‘bloodbath reshuffle’, 1, 2;
increasing global travel, 1;
courts Murdoch, 1;
uses energy policy as building block for future career, 1, 2;
confusion in Afghanistan, 1;
growing personal interest in Middle East, and Israel in particular, 1;
holidays, 1;
escalation and mission creep in Afghanistan and Iraq, 1, 2;
waning party support forces him to name departure date, 1;
farewell to the party at 2006 conference, 1;
Dannatt’s insurrection, 1;
continuing belief in overseas interventions, 1;
objectives for last days in office, 1;
ongoing investigation into loans for peerages, 1, 2;
more sleaze, 1;
long farewell, 1, 2;
legacy, 1, 2;
Brown assures self of succession, 1;
achievements assessed, 1;
defiant about Iraq and Afghanistan to the end, 1;
Iranian capture of Navy ratings, 1;
last performance at Dispatch Box, 1
POLICIES see individual subject areas
LATER LIFE: overview, 1, 2;
intermingling commercial and charitable work, and their conflicts of interest, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;
Grosvenor Square HQ, 1, 2;
and security, 1;
acts as unpaid envoy for the Quartet, trying to bring about Israel–Palestine peace settlement, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;
financial affairs, 1, 2;
new team, 1;
property purchases, 1;
affair with Strauss rumoured, 1;
writes memoirs, 1, 2;
appears before Chilcot inquiry, 1;
alienated from British life, 1;
asks Cameron to give Gaddafi safe haven, 1;
Kuwaiti government starts to finance, 1;
some clients start to query his advice, 1;
bid to become president of EU, 1;
second appearance before Chilcot inquiry, 1;
ever closer relationship with Murdoch, 1;
advises Brooks on phone-hacking scandal, 1;
possible affair with Deng, 1;
Murdoch divorces Deng, partly on grounds of her relationship with TB, 1;
waning influence internationally, 1;
Quartet employment ends, 1;
>
awards from Save the Children and GQ, 1;
trustworthiness assessed, 1
GENERAL: attitude to the market, 1;
attitude to rural affairs, 1;
author’s meeting with, 1;
belief in power of legislation, 1;
books about, 1;
British popular attitude, 1, 2;
children’s education, 1;
fascination with wealthy businessmen, 1;
influences on, 1;
as judge of character, 1, 2, 3;
lack of historical knowledge, 1, 2;
lack of knowledge about Islam, 1;
lack of understanding of political success, 1;
leadership skills, 1;
leisurewear, 1;
love of trappings of office, 1;
loyalty, 1;
personal kindnesses, 1, 2;
relationship with CB, 1, 2;
and religion, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5;
Tory rather than Labour?, 1;
trustworthiness, 1;
unworldliness, 1
Blears, Hazel, 1
Blix, Hans, 1, 2, 3, 4
Blunkett, David: and education policy, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; and immigration policy, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;
on Roche, 1;
replaces Straw at Home Office, 1, 2;
Woodhead on, 1;
and Iraq war, 1;
blames civil service for lack of improvement in NHS, 1;
on Barber’s tests, 1;
tackles TB over tenor of his leadership, 1;
and Sunday Times exposé, 1;
on TB’s struggle to survive, 1;
resigns over nanny’s visa, 1;
support for TB in run-up to 2005 election, 1;
second resignation, 1;
on Reid, 1
BMA see British Medical Association
Boateng, Paul, 1
Boer, Wiebe, 1
Boko Haram, 1
Booth, Cherie see Blair, Cherie
Booth, Tony, 1
Bosnia, 1, 2
Bowen, Desmond, 1, 2, 3, 4
Bower, Cynthia, 1
Boyce, Admiral Mike: takes over as chief of defence staff, 1; attitude to Hoon and Tebbit, 1;
tries to get more money for MoD, 1;
warns about dangers of ‘war on terror’, 1, 2, 3;
TB keeps Iraq discussions secret from, 1, 2;
and Iraq war, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;
tries to get more military funding, 1;
continued negativity about Iraq war, 1, 2;
and first JIC dossier, 1;
Hoon and TB try to sack, 1;
addresses Cabinet re. extent of UK involvement in Iraq invasion, 1;
protests again about lack of military funding, 1;
pressurises TB to authorise proper war preparations, 1;
