Thursday, Dec 12, 2002
Thursday, Dec 12, 2002 |
| International | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | International
By Hasan Suroor
In an unprecedented public display of emotions, which critics dismissed as a `stunt', Mrs. Blair broke down in front of live TV cameras as she spoke of the pressures on her as a mother, wife and a high-profile barrister. "I am not a Superwoman,'' she said adding, in an emotionally-cracked voice: "The reality of my life is that I am juggling a lot of balls in the air...some of the balls get dropped.'' And, then, more dramatically, she said: "Sometime I feel I would like to crawl away and hide. But I will not.'' This is the first time that the wife of a British Prime Minister has been forced to make a public apology which shows just how seriously the row is viewed in Downing Street despite attempts to put up a brave face. Mr. Blair insisted that the sections of the media had blown it out of all proportions, and said he was `proud' of his wife. But the Opposition said the jury was still out on Mrs. Blair, and maintained that only an independent inquiry could clear the air. "Of course you feel sympathy for her...but we need to know that she has done absolutely nothing wrong. Only an independent inquiry will establish this,'' said a senior Tory leader, David Davis, as Mrs. Blair's public ratings plummeted to a new low. Mrs. Blair stuck to her denial that she was aware of the criminal background of Peter Foster, when she agreed to let him help her with the purchase of flats in Bristol two months ago. She said she knew him only as a friend of her fashion adviser and confidante Carole Caplin. ``Obviously if I had known full details of Mr. Foster's past I would not have allowed myself to get into this situation,'' she said. Mrs. Blair also rejected the allegation that she tried to influence the case involving Mr. Foster's deportation to Australia where he is wanted in a fraud case. Apparently it is this allegation which forced her to break her silence because as a barrister this could damage her reputation and prospects. She said she spoke to Foster's solicitors and checked out the name of the judge who is to hear his appeal against deportation in order to reassure Ms. Caplin that "normal process was being followed''. ``I emphatically did not try influence this one way or another, I was simply trying to help my friend Carole find out the facts.... It is now being suggested tonight that because I publicly checked the available court list for the name of the judge I somehow acted improperly. I did not,'' she said. Mrs. Blair said throughout the controversy her only concern was to "protect my family and to help my friend Carole..I am sorry if I have embarrassed anyone.'' The apology climaxed ten days of nationwide media frenzy led by the rabidly anti-Blair Mail group of newspapers and supported by right-wing sections of the media such as The Daily Telegraph which maintained this morning that despite her bravura performance — "part wounded mother, part Clintonesque hairs-splitter'' — Mrs Blair "failed to put herself above suspicion''. Mrs. Blair's apology is widely seen as a belated damage-limitation exercise but questions about her judgement remained. And the one question on everyone's mind was as to whether Mr. Blair himself was aware of his wife's dealings with a fraudster and if so, to what extent.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2002, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
