Paper Monitor
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye…
Yes, it’s adieu to you and you and you from Tony Blair. How does his last speech as party leader play with the papers - none of whom are backward in coming forward about where their sympathies lie.
“ALMOST EVERY WORD BLAIR SPOKE WOULD HAVE BEEN PERJURY HAD HE BEEN ON OATH” thunders Max Hastings in the Daily Mail.
“I DID IT MY WAY,” is the ܲ’s headline. “WHO’S SORRY NOW, LABOUR?”
“BLAIRWELL,” puns the Daily Mirror, running a pull-out quote from the PM’s speech that has Paper Monitor confusing his words with those of Bryan Adams. Or Daniel “Last of the Mohicans” Day-Lewis. “Where-ever I am, whatever I do, I’m with you. You’re the future now. Make the most of it.”
“FANTASTIC MR FOX” is the Daily Telegraph’s strapline. Hmmm, that seems unusually flippant for the Establishment’s paper of choice… D’uh - it’s the title of the Telegraph’s free Roald Dahl audio book! “SHOWMAN BLAIR STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT FROM BROWN,” is the paper’s take, and its editorial compares his swansong to that of Telegraph poster girl Margaret Thatcher when she was deposed (to paraphrase, “I’ve won you lot three elections you know”).
But speaking of giveaways, what’s on offer in today’s batch of wall-charts? The Guardian has the sky at night; the վ’ classic film poster is North by Northwest; and the Mail has British Wildflowers - territory the Guardian claimed a mere fortnight ago. A sign that this fight is getting nasty?