The Ashdown Diaries: 1988-1997 v. 1

Anthony Butcher · 12-07-2007, 01:15 AM

		The Ashdown Diaries: 1988-1997 v. 1
by Paddy Ashdown

"I am plagued by the nightmare that the party that started with Gladstone will end with Ashdown". Paddy Ashdown wrote this following his election as Leader of the future Liberal Democrats in 1988. Faced with party infighting, the conflict with David Own and the SDP, and the brink of financial insolvency, Ashdown's future seemed doomed. However, by the time he ends The Ashdown Diaries following the 1997 election, he writes "I am leading a party that is larger than Lloyd George's!" The Ashdown Diaries record this remarkable turnaround amid the turbulent final years of Mrs Thatcher and the uncertainty of the Major Government, and his fateful attempt to negotiate a coalition government with Tony Blair. Remarkably frank and written in an engagingly brusque (and often rather naive) style, Ashdown's diaries are a fascinating account of political life at one remove from governmental power. This makes many of his amusing and often brutal accounts of the great and the good highly entertaining. Political historians will be particularly interested in the majority of the book, dealing with Ashdown's surprisingly close links with Blair, and his claim to have come with an inch of joining the Cabinet in 1997. Lively, entertaining and often very witty, this is a frank and convincing portrait of Ashdown.
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Anthony Butcher · 12-07-2007, 01:18 AM

The most interesting aspect of this book is just how duplicitous Blair appears, even to his supposed allies. Ashdown was strung along with promises that never materialised, with Blair saying whatever he wanted to hear at the time then backtracking afterwards.

Westcountryman · 12-07-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony Butcher

The most interesting aspect of this book is just how duplicitous Blair appears, even to his supposed allies. Ashdown was strung along with promises that never materialised, with Blair saying whatever he wanted to hear at the time then backtracking afterwards.

If you were Tony Blair, and you had the same massive majority after the 1997 GE, would you bother bringing the liberals on board?

rjt · 12-07-2007, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ModernUKIP

If you were Tony Blair, and you had the same massive majority after the 1997 GE, would you bother bringing the liberals on board?

I would have done if I had meant what I said, waht Blair realsied is that he could do perfectly well without them so he ditched them as soon as they were not needed. The Blair/Ashdown policy had one objective, to form a centre left allaince to keep the Torys out for ever. When Blair realsied he could do this on his own he just dumped them because he is a sad lying opportunist.

Anthony Butcher · 12-07-2007, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjt

When Blair realsied he could do this on his own he just dumped them because he is a sad lying opportunist.

Absolutely. Ashdown doesn't spell that out, but that is clearly the message he sends through this book, along with dates and details to prove it

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12-07-2007, 01:18 AM	#2 (permalink)
Anthony Butcher Administrator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Long Ashton, Bristol Posts: 9,823 Party: None	The most interesting aspect of this book is just how duplicitous Blair appears, even to his supposed allies. Ashdown was strung along with promises that never materialised, with Blair saying whatever he wanted to hear at the time then backtracking afterwards.