Diaries reveal Tony Blair's thoughts on Charles 'playing politics'

Published on Saturday 2 July 2011 13:29

TONY Blair believed the Prince of Wales went too far in getting publicly involved in sensitive political issues like fox-hunting and genetically modified foods, according to extracts from Alastair Campbell's diaries published yesterday.

The former prime minister even said the Prince was "screwing us" by making unhelpful interventions on behalf of farmers during the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis.

The former Downing Street director of communications appears to suggest that Blair raised his concerns with the Queen during one of his regular audiences, though Mr Campbell notes that he "didn't push too hard".

And Campbell says that, while remaining publicly supportive of the Prince, Blair told Charles that there were "limits to the extent to which they could play politics with him".

The new extracts, published in the Guardian, confirm reports that the prince sent frequent handwritten notes on contentious issues to Government ministers and list a series of his interventions which supposedly infuriated Blair:

n Comments during the foot-and-mouth suggesting farmers needed more help. Campbell wrote: "TB said he knew exactly what he was doing. He also asked whether Charles had ever considered help when 6,000 jobs were lost at (steel manufacturer) Corus. He said this was all about screwing us and trying to get up the message that we weren't generous enough to the farmers."

n A boycott of a 1999 banquet for China's then President Jiang Zemin, which Blair reportedly regarded as "silly".

n A private note to Blair challenging the Government's plans to ban fox-hunting, which the Prince said was good for the environment.

n Comments in the same note expressing the view that hereditary peers - most of whom were removed from the House of Lords by Labour in 1999 - had a lot to offer and adding "menacingly": "We don't really want to be like the continentals, now, do we?"

n Telling the then prime minister "I cannot stay silent", after Downing Street made clear its unhappiness over a newspaper article the prince had written voicing opposition to GM food.

Campbell said that Blair was "pretty wound up" over the GM article, which he described as "anti-science". The diary entry for 1 June, 1999, shortly after the prince's GM foods article, appears to suggest Blair raised his concerns with the Queen.

"TB saw the Queen and seemingly didn't push too hard re Charles but he was very pissed off," wrote Campbell.