With the announcement on Thursday that Tony Blair will step down as Prime Minister on 27th June, I'm joined this week by new Cabinet hopeful Ed Miliband MP, outspoken MP Bob Marshall-Andrews, Left-wing leadership contender John McDonnell MP and by Tony Blair's biographer John Rentoul.

Author Ed Husain talks about his new novel 'The Islamist', which documents his journey to becoming an Islamic fundamentalist, and how he rediscovered a kinder, more gentler Islam. 

This weekend's papers will be reviewed by author and former MP Gyles Brandreth and Guardian columnist Jackie Ashley.

Economist, author and campaigner Noreen Hertz is this week's celebrity soapbox guest. Noreen has raised a million pounds for nurses by persuading premiership footballers to donate a day's pay to her cause.

Also on the programme is the Daily Telegraph sports journalist Patrick Barclay.

And of course, we'll be bringing you all the latest news from at home and abroad. So please join us this SUNDAY LIVE 1000 - 1200 only on Sky News.

Comments

[Craig Hants 17 May 2007 18:52:14]

Craig what changes are you talking about? More tax, robbing pensions, work shy benifit workforce, one in seven kids in primary school can't speak English, doctors going elsewere to get a job, terrorists released because of human rights? Great changes. Long live Labour.

[Merv. Beszant, Dubai. 15 May 2007 22:29:26]

Peter,
I can't decide whether you are implying that the war in Iraq is related to oil, in a similar manner to the Falkland's war, or whether Blair's decision has resulted in fewer troop deaths than Maggie's over the Falklands.
I was against both of the wars, and consider that neither of them warranted the loss of our troops lives, but at least the Falkland's war was conventional and resulted in a victory, as opposed to the ill conceived, and absolutely disasterous war currently being waged in Iraq, in which hundreds of thousands of lives have already been lost.

[Craig 14 May 2007 16:07:50]

Brian -

You must be having a laugh! You tell us about the re-branding of Gordon Brown when you support Cameron, the man who wrote the most right wing horrible, nasty manifesto in memory, only to change to become all things to all men. Brown has done nothing along those lines.

Please be fairer with your comments if we are to have a serious debate.

[Peter, Fife 14 May 2007 16:05:40]

Merv. Beszant, Dubai

I did not reference the loss of lives in the Falklands; this was a war which it was claimed was fought in defence of the Falkland Islands and Islanders when the truth was that it was about the mineral and oil right of Antarctica; the mineral and oil right of Antarctica are divided on the basis of the sovereignty of the lands facing Antarctica

Falklands British Casualties 258 killed.
Iraq British Casualties 148 killed.

[Brian Christley in Abergele 14 May 2007 13:55:58]

The daily re-branding of Gordon Brown is like watching different dolls being revealed from inside a Russian Doll, although each one is of a slightly different colour we soon discover it is as wooden and hollow as the previous one!

[Merv. Beszant, Dubai 14 May 2007 13:41:06]

Peter,
I understood the gist of your post to be that politicians are judged on their mistakes rather than their successes, and I go along with that.

However, my comment was related to the gravity of the mistakes, and Blair's was the only one that resulted in a loss of life, on a massive scale, and in answer to your question, I would suggest that the number of lives lost since we attacked Iraq is far in excess of the number being lost prior to the attack, but more importantly (to me anyway) is the fact that no Coalition Forces' lives were
being lost in a war that should never have taken place.

[Peter, Fife 14 May 2007 12:46:59]

Merv. Beszant, Dubai

That was not the point of my post, but as you choose to raise the issue of lives lost, could you list the numbers that lost their lives in each of the years within Saddam’s regime?

[Merv. Beszant, Dubai 14 May 2007 12:23:51]

Peter,

I appreciate what you are saying, but, with the exception of Blair's, the mistakes that you list were not life threatening, and it is the resultant massive loss of life that makes his so unforgivable, especially when you consider how the mistake was made.

[DENNIS HERTS 14 May 2007 11:32:42]

IAN OF LANCASHIRE,

Thank you for your eloquent reply to my blog. I ask you this question If you had COMPLETE contol over the policy and running of this country what would be your main objectives? I look forward to your reply with great interest.

[Victor, NW Kent 14 May 2007 11:31:11]

Although I am centre-right I see no harm in ID cards. However, I have a huge objection to their introduction simply because UK governments are never capable of getting any major computer system to work even though the end cost is usually 4 times the budgetted cost.

[Robson Danton Green. Walberswick and Durham. 14 May 2007 07:30:18]

I am now thinking that we are for the High Jump when GB becomes the new leader. One of the things I could never square with was the death of Dr Kelly.

[Craig 14 May 2007 01:58:23]

Come on everybody! Let's get behind Gordon Brown and start the fightback. He has made a great start and the polls have already came up for Labour in the Times. We must take on the right wing press in this country and support Labour. I am really excited!

We should put Brown in as PM now and stop the charade of a contest. Let Brown take on Cameron and win that 4th term so we can continue to make the right changes for the country.

[Brian Christley in Abergele 13 May 2007 20:20:57]

To demonstrate that he is different to Blair why doesn’t Brown promise to hold official inquiries before implementing policies instead of after they have turned into a can of worms?

[Louise Surrey 13 May 2007 11:27:07]

Amazing Grace - ok another film about our ancestors and the silent legacy of the British Empire. We shouldn't just see films about it, it should be part of our education just like the Holocaust.

And William Wilberforce ok I'll give him props, but not for the abolishment of slavery, rather for the change in the way of British thinking. If anything he fought for the end of slave trade not slavery itself. There were so many black and white people who were the leading force to the end of slavery, they should be the ones that we should learn about.

[Barbara 13 May 2007 10:52:55]

ID cards are a great idea, I have always thought so. I've lived abroad and they don't pose a problem there. Surely it will only pose a problem if you've something to hide? We as a country are a strange lot, what are the reasons why people don't want them?

[Mick Allan 13 May 2007 09:48:40]

I.D cards are a too little too late attempt from the Government and Home Office to correct their blunders of recent years (and there has been a few!), and attempt to now grasp a immigration problem that has ran out of control and will perhaps even more so if Turkey joins the EU in the fourthcoming years.

The damage is done now New Labour, admit it, get out of government and perhaps come back in 10 years as 'New New Labour' with some fresh spin attached. Now all we have to suffer are the Conservatives, such Joy!

And you wonder why the younger voters of my age group don't bother to vote!

[The Morning Post Sri Lanka 13 May 2007 09:17:24]

It's a great pity that Blair did not display the same courage and leadership skills as the Australian Prime Minister John Howard in banning the English cricket team's tour of Zimbabwe. He rung his hands and then sat on them, instead of showing true leadership and ordering the English team not to go, instead of imploring them not to go. If John Howard was eligible to contest the upcoming contest with Gordon Brown, it would be yet another walkover for the Australians.

[JS, London 13 May 2007 05:17:20]

John Rentoul writes in the Independent today: Blair the betrayed, Labour will be oh-so-sorry when he's gone... the Labour Party ought to apologise for forcing out a global statesman of such stature.

Rentoul is as delusional as Blair. Global statesman Yo! Blair? Dr. Kendall Myers, a U.S. State Department analyst, said Mr Blair's attempts to influence the U.S. were ingorned. Blair was laughed at and described as an "actor".

[aliya 12 May 2007 19:57:46]

We have had enough of Tony Blair and thank God he's stepping down. If it hadn't been for the pressure Tony Blair would not have wanted to leave till eternity, or so its been proved by his staying in power for so many years and still he was so hesitant to leave office. Finally.

[Charles Maidoh,agbor,Nigeria 12 May 2007 18:11:27]

What legacy has Mr Blair left behind? Three wars in his 10 years of office [in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan]. Unemployment is past the 1 million mark. The NHS is at the point of collapse, roads and rail networks are in a state of disrepair, class divisions are wider with the rich getting richer and the poor are literally starving.

This man has no legacy, except that of strife, wars, hunger, disease, lies and deceit. This man is an evil genius, thank goodness he is gone!

[fluffy, London, ENGLAND 12 May 2007 15:23:13]

Have the panel noticed the fawning way that "media-experts" are lapping-up to Tony Blair? It's quiet bemusing!

If the late, great, Kenny Everett was still alive, would he not enjoy this?

[Peter, Fife 12 May 2007 13:33:33]

Politicians, like those in industry and the Civil Service are mostly remembered by their mistakes, policy errors or faux pas.

UK
Anthony Eden: Suez
Harold Macmillan: John Profumo (Christine Keeler)
Alex Douglas-Home: John Profumo and being “not of the people”
Harold Wilson: Devaluation, “the pound in you pocket”
Edward Heath: The three day week
James Callaghan: Winter of Discontent 1978-79
Margaret Thatcher: Poll Tax, Interest rates @ 15%
John Major: Sleaze in Government
Tony Blair: Iraq

USA:
Richard Nixon: Watergate
William Clinton: Monica Lewinski

Tony Blair will be treated no differently from those who have gone before him, when the media revisit the past relative to these individuals it are items similar to these that are the first port of call for press and television; the good that these individuals have done is treated more as an afterthought if at all, one of the downsides of power.

[fluffy, London, ENGLAND 12 May 2007 04:30:03]

Forget about ID cards. They will never work, and are unlikely to be introduced.

As for using them to allocate Health and Education resources - poppycock! Whilst New Labour has abused the immigration and public-sector for it's [Blair's?] benefit, no-one should be denied basic health-care, and no-one should deny any child a decent education.

Anything above basic provision should be rationed. Whether the state should fund "life-style choices" is debatable. However that should be another question, and separate from the rights and wrongs of uncontrolled immigration.

[roy jenkins Cannock staffs. 11 May 2007 18:37:57]

Afternoon Adam,

Will you be asking real questions of these people or just what they have requested? Nothing personal but you do let these Labour politicians of the hook.:))

[Ian,Lancashire 11 May 2007 18:15:48]

Sorry Dennis but I am totally against ID cards and I am not part of the Human Rights brigade you demean. I'm a pretty straight, bang 'em up and throw away the key, sort of guy and I believe that ID cards will not work.

I am solely against them because I do not want to see any more billions of tax-payers hard earned pounds wasted. The Government's track record on computer systems is lamentable. Name one that was on time and on budget?

This would come in way over any budget announced and well past the stated delivery date. It will be the same idiots running it who input the details on the new system that cannot operate the present system. So how will that improve anything?

The illegal immigrants and terrorist arguments are just plain stupid and will no doubt be supported by another hard-hitting dossier cut and pasted off the internet. As you rightly say we are incapable even of deporting those who are here illegally. But we somehow find it easier to deport the odd token immigrant family who have actually managed to fit in well and contribute to their local communities.

ID cards are a financial disaster waiting to happen. But by the time we realise it all those who were responsible for it will have left office and be very cosily set up for life.
There's many better things to spend those potentially tens of billions on that would actually benefit the country.

[David, Hampshire 11 May 2007 17:14:55]

Dennis,

Define ID cards "working"? The reason for their introduction has changed so many times since idea first mooted (terrorism, identity fraud etc).

However the reason they won't work is nothing to do with human rights or PC Brigade but the fact that Governments, Civil Service plus their armies of consultants will be unable to implement any sort of IT infrastructure to support them.

Meanwhile the good citizens of this country will pay through the nose and likely terrorists and criminals will forge them without any problem whatsoever.

[Merv. Beszant, Dubai 11 May 2007 16:41:26]

DENNIS,

Illegal immigrants will be sentenced to a minimum of five years community service, whilst being provided with free accommodation, family type if necessary, and paid the minimum wage. Should they object, their sentence will be doubled. Who said we Brits aren't in control?!

[DENNIS HERTS 11 May 2007 15:14:43]

Imagine this scenario - I.D. cards are introduced an illegal or some other person is caught no I.D. card. Are we to believe that they will be deported no questions asked? Or will more vast sums of money be wasted on court cases etc? The Human Rights and P.C. brigade would never let I.D. cards work.

1/ No benefit or hand outs without I.D. Card
2/ No N.H.S. Treatment without I.D. Card
3/ No Bank Account without I.D.Card
4/ All transactions buying a car house etc must produce I.D. Card

In theory it's a good idea but the Human Rights and P.C. would get it diluted to such a point it would be useless.

[Khalid 11 May 2007 14:17:24]

Oh Dear, Tony ain't even left office yet and still the "Shadows In Silence" appear to bring about many an "Enigma" as we enjoy the best of British Beef!