Prime Time

No. 21: Take a meeting with the prime minister
No. 40: Become a Whig




...“Hello, I’m Tony Blair.”

I’m shaking Tony Blair’s hand wondering why he thinks he needs to make clear to me what his name is.


Justin’s looking very professional with a list of hard hitting questions for Blair, who has spent the last two years acting as the UN’s envoy to the Quartet of the Middle East, while I stand quietly in the background and try not to knock anything over.

We offer Tony a Jewish News care package chock full of plastic rulers, pens and water bottles, and the Labour politico sifts through the bag.

“We’ve brought you our very own Jewish News water,” Justin boasts proudly.

“Fantastic,” Tony replies as he takes a swig. “And what’s special about it?”

Justin pauses.

“Well, it has our name on it.”


Justin and Blair are chatting about Iran, Gaza and falafels, and I’m doing my best to act like a person who makes a living as a professional journalist. Perched on a sofa across from the pair, wearing my smartest work suit and a pair of very uncomfortable high heels, I’m holding the camera as upright as possible, urging my hand to be as still as a tripod. I’m fairly successful, but about 30 seconds in, my arm begins to ache.

Never mind, I’m an international political correspondent, I can work through the pain.

Must. Not. Drop. Camera.

I’m slowly but surely sliding to my right, in a gradual move that eventually sees my elbow land on the armrest next to me. The support gives my throbbing arm relief, and I’m hoping the gliding motion will look like some sort of arty special effect on the film, and not like the kaleidoscope shaking I suspect I’ve just created...


To read the full colum follow this link and turn to page 18: http://www.totallyjewish.com/the_jewish_news/view/c-12211/jewish-news-jn-596-300709/?no_login=1


Tony with official Jewish News water.
Justin doing his thing.

I probably said something funny here.