Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Ben Brogan has just blogged the new official Blair portrait and responded favourably. But it reminded me of the 1951 film starring Alec Guiness as The Man in the White Suit. Here is Blair 2008:
In the movie the Man who invented and wore the White Suit was the acme of English modernisation defying the vested interests of the old class system. But he was too slick. The key moment came at the end as his white suit starts to fall apart, its inner chemicals betraying the inventive genius. The supposedly everlasting, dirt-repelling new fabric he invented gives way just as the wretched citizenry of textile northerners were about to assault him for putting their livelihoods at risk. He becomes a figure of derision in his underwear and then, naturally, his bosses sack him. We have not reached that moment yet with Blair of course. I wonder why? Here is another still from the film
