PM'S 'HOLIDAY PRIORITY' OVER OMAGH
PM's 'holiday priority' over Omagh
THE diaries of a key former Downing Street aide have revealed that it was a "priority" that Tony Blair's holiday was not interrupted for an Omagh bombing memorial service.
Tony Blair relished sending armed forces into action in Iraq, the diaries have also revealed.
Lance Price, once the Prime Minister's deputy media adviser, was forced to amend the entry referring to Omagh in his forthcoming book, the Mail on Sunday said.
However, the original version has been obtained by the newspaper which is serialising his candid account of life in No 10.
It was penned when Mr Blair ordered RAF pilots on joint US-UK bombing raids over Iraq at Christmas 1998, the first time he authorised military action.
"I couldn't help feeling TB was rather relishing his first blooding as PM, sending the boys into action," the Mail on Sunday's version says.
"Despite all the necessary stuff about taking action 'with a heavy heart' I think he feels it is part of his coming of age as a leader."
The book also reveals that ensuring Mr Blair did not have to interrupt his holiday for the Omagh bombing memorial service was a "priority". Twenty-nine people including a woman pregnant with twins were killed in the 1998 attack .
Two other entries have also been changed in the eye-opening book by Mr Price, who served as media chief Alastair Campbell's deputy for much of Labour's first term.
One related to News International chief Rupert Murdoch and the government's stance on the euro, the paper reports.
Mr Price had written that No l0 was "very edgy" about pro-euro comments from Peter Mandelson "because apparently we've promised News International we won't make any changes to Europe policy without talking to them".
In the third, he toned down Mr Blair's reaction to the threat of a Labour defeat in the first Cardiff assembly elections, which prompted the PM to repeatedly say: "F****** Welsh."
Other revelations include the Premier's "fear" of Ken Clarke becoming Tory leader and his reluctance to scrap 11pm pub closing.
No l0 has not commented on the publication.
THE diaries of a key former Downing Street aide have revealed that it was a "priority" that Tony Blair's holiday was not interrupted for an Omagh bombing memorial service.
Tony Blair relished sending armed forces into action in Iraq, the diaries have also revealed.
Lance Price, once the Prime Minister's deputy media adviser, was forced to amend the entry referring to Omagh in his forthcoming book, the Mail on Sunday said.
However, the original version has been obtained by the newspaper which is serialising his candid account of life in No 10.
It was penned when Mr Blair ordered RAF pilots on joint US-UK bombing raids over Iraq at Christmas 1998, the first time he authorised military action.
"I couldn't help feeling TB was rather relishing his first blooding as PM, sending the boys into action," the Mail on Sunday's version says.
"Despite all the necessary stuff about taking action 'with a heavy heart' I think he feels it is part of his coming of age as a leader."
The book also reveals that ensuring Mr Blair did not have to interrupt his holiday for the Omagh bombing memorial service was a "priority". Twenty-nine people including a woman pregnant with twins were killed in the 1998 attack .
Two other entries have also been changed in the eye-opening book by Mr Price, who served as media chief Alastair Campbell's deputy for much of Labour's first term.
One related to News International chief Rupert Murdoch and the government's stance on the euro, the paper reports.
Mr Price had written that No l0 was "very edgy" about pro-euro comments from Peter Mandelson "because apparently we've promised News International we won't make any changes to Europe policy without talking to them".
In the third, he toned down Mr Blair's reaction to the threat of a Labour defeat in the first Cardiff assembly elections, which prompted the PM to repeatedly say: "F****** Welsh."
Other revelations include the Premier's "fear" of Ken Clarke becoming Tory leader and his reluctance to scrap 11pm pub closing.
No l0 has not commented on the publication.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0757
Published Date: 19-Sep-05
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