Tony Blair has admitted that he did not enjoy serving as Prime Minister, citing the immense responsibility and constant scrutiny as key reasons. The former Labour leader, who held office from 1997 to 2007, made the remarks during a BBC Radio 4 interview for a new programme examining the evolution of the role over 300 years.
“I don’t think I did enjoy the job because the responsibility is so huge,” Mr Blair said. “Every day you’re making decisions and every day you’re under massive scrutiny as is your family. The paradox is that you start at your most popular and least capable and you end at your least popular and most capable.”
He compared the experience to appointing a football fan as manager of Manchester United, noting that the role requires minimal prior experience despite its importance. “The first job I ever had in government was prime minister,” he said. “The crazy thing about the job is that it’s the only job I can think of in which the importance of what you’re doing is so immense and the requirement of experience for doing it is so nugatory.”
The programme also featured contributions from David Cameron and Sir John Major, as well as current Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Mr Cameron reflected on the limited power of Number 10, joking that he often made his own sandwich for a moment of peace. Mr Johnson praised the support team at Downing Street, describing it as an “extraordinary centre of a G7 economy.”
The first of three episodes will air on BBC Radio 4 at 11 am on Friday, April 2.
