Was Granita Blairs biggest mistake?
Their other concern was that a leadership contest would force the two men to differentiate themselves from each other, that the media would be constantly seeking splits. At that stage there genuinely were no policy differences — the two were, like David Cameron and George Osborne, of the same mind. But they had different backgrounds, different temperaments, different styles. That should have been enough. Instead, because Brown made what was seen as the ultimate sacrifice, Blair has felt guilty and indebted to him ever since. He has conceded unprecedented power to his Chancellor, giving Brown licence to pursue all sorts of policies, right across the domestic agenda, that he, Blair, might not have chosen. Meanwhile, Brown has allowed himself to believe that he could — and should — have been Prime Minister. He has allowed this grudge to manifest itself in blocking much of what Blair has wanted to do. Why does Blair sound so much more confident and passionate discussing foreign affairs tha
