he's doing a lot of not recalling.

Giving monologues whilst avoiding answers to questions and as someone twitted/tweeted ? talking over questioning he doesn't like.

Pleased to hear you get the video too.

This is the dramatic moment that an unidentified protester, dressed in a white shirt, briefly disrupted the proceedings.



The protester was a man in a white shirt who began his court interruption by saying "Excuse me." His politeness ended there, however, as he then began shouting that Mr Blair was a "war criminal" and made further accusations that the former PM had been paid off. The protester continued to make further accusations, while clinging on to a desk with both hands. He has to do this because a security guard had both arms wrapped round his chest and was desperately trying to drag him away. In the end, he was pushed out the room by three guards. Lord Leveson is now quietly but firmly asking how the protester managed to get into the courtroom, "through what is supposed to be a secure corridor".

It truly feels like game theory is being applied to US voters in our political system. I'm sure the Brits feel similarly.

1242:
Leandra Briggs from Wallingford
emails: Blair talks about the desirability of "competition in media ownership". And look at what has actually happened! Thank heavens for the internet and social media (so mistrusted by Blair, because it cannot be controlled) as a counterpoint.

1135:
Alexander Lowe
tweets: Break at Leveson inquiry, interesting to see Blair admit (in as many words) that he was basically in thrall to the Murdoch empire.

1130:
What if the main media blocs, including the ones owned by Rupert Murdoch, had opposed the Labour Party in the 1997 election, Mr Blair asks rhetorically. He provides the answer himself: "My view is we would still have won."

Continuing to refer to the influence of the press, Mr Blair gestures towards himself, indicating the government he led. "We were sometimes guilty of ascribing to them a power that they ultimately don't really have and actually have less today than I think back then."

1117:
Mr Jay is now moving on to the build-up to start of the war in Iraq and asking Mr Blair about his relationship with the media at the time. "This was a huge issue, obviously," says Mr Blair.

He says he had three chats with Rupert Murdoch in the run-up to the war. He had conversations with newspaper editors too, he points out.

Dominic Rose from Isle of Man
emails: So it seems that he's saying the tabloids don't just report policy, they seek to influence or halt it depending on their political bias, and do so fairly successfully. So much for politicians heeding the mandate from the electorate.

1100:
Danny Harris
Most of the people who had close contacts with the Murdoch Empire have had selective memory.The King of Spin is among them.

1059:
Mr Blair says that anyone falling out with the "controlling element" of the Daily Mail will be subject to a "huge and sustained attack".

1046:
Des from Rotherham emails: This man is a true politician, answers nothing and talks over people that he can't answer.

0958:
The thrust of Mr Blair's appearance is set to revolve around his relationship with the chairman of News International, Rupert Murdoch. Labour's former communications director, Lance Price, says the relationship was perhaps handled in too secretive a manner. "A lot of the stuff that was going on behind the scenes, a lot of the meetings, a lot of the discussions weren't known to the public," he told BBC News this morning.

the king of mendacity - 100% sleaze

Loved the protester

Brilliant stuff.

The tweets and comments are priceless.

Peter Hunt News correspondent Leveson: inside Court 73 one of Blair's bodyguards is sitting right next to me. I feel instantly guilty. #Leveson #hacking

Thanks for the link.

Will write soon - promise.

sounds bogus to me. Essentially - let them (media) police themselves - but be independent of the media ... huh?

All he spews is BS and spin - in any order.

and

1421:
Mr Blair says he was on the brink of dismissing Labour MP and former minister Tom Watson from his government in 2006 when Mr Watson resigned. Mr Blair described Mr Watson as a "prime organiser" of a so-called coup against him in September of that year.

1445:
After Lord Justice Leveson points out that the PCC code of conduct demands that all newspapers differentiate clearly between comment and fact, Mr Blair says he has long believed that certain papers do not abide by that.

Andrew Dougherty from London emails: I'm watching Mr Blair, with the sound off (the best way I think), and his body language is fascinating. Using his hands either as a shield, or as tennis racquets, to lob the questions back at Mr Jay. Whilst appearing cool and calm, he is very much on the defensive.

Blair was basically given all the time he wanted to ramble on without interference from Jay or Levinson.

I just checked for articles to see if I might have missed something worthwhile; one article mentioned that his Range Rover had been pelted with eggs as he was driven away.

Blair seems to have been influenced by his American rightwing friends & that's a shame.

I liked this excerpt from The Guardian:

I agree with the Guardian article. Missed the heckler the first time but have posted a youtube video.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/may/28/tony-blair-leveson-inquiry-live
<snip>
Here is a summary of Blair's evidence:

• Blair denied any deal with Rupert Murdoch during his 10 years as prime minister.

• Taking on the press would have led to an "absolute major confrontation" lasting years, Blair said.

• An anti-war protester breached court security to accuse Blair of war crimes.

• Lord Justice Leveson said political consensus was "critical" to success of his recommendations.

• The Daily Mail had "personal vendetta" against Cherie Blair, whose solicitors have sent more than 30 legal warnings over coverage in four years, Blair said.

• There was "nothing odd" about three phone calls to Rupert Murdoch days before Iraq war, Blair told the inquiry.

• Blair admitted sending a message of support to Rebekah Brooks after she resigned as News International boss at the height of the phone-hacking scandal in July 2011.

• Blair said his 1995 trip to a News Corp conference in Australia was a "very deliberate and strategic" bid to win over Murdoch.

• A new press regulator should be independent of both government and media, said Blair.