The Deal

So inspired by watching Frost/Nixon I picked up a copy of The Deal, the "prequel" to The Queen as it is branded in the US. Not really in the league of "The Queen" or Frost/Nixon, but still interesting, particularly since as a UK citizen I was in the UK for the whole time of the events in the film. After Blair was elected I always remember reading in the Guardian that the interaction to watch in the coming years would be the Blair/Brown one rather than a Blair plus Conservative opposition leader. I always thought that a little odd. I think just that I didn't really get the idea of conflict over the leadership position within a party - I had just been very focused on the party vs party conflict of Labour vs. Conservatives during the years that I became aware of UK politics.

Anyway, the film was pretty good (especially the interspersed historical news footage) and really put me in touch with the concept of fighting over the leadership of a political party. How politicians will start off being small and unimportant and work their way up to positions of power. Of course many will not make it to the "top job", and so the superficial take that this ascent to power is the process that all politicians go through is just that. And of course it is all very interesting given Blair's abdication the other year, and the difficulties that Brown has had since becoming prime minister. Certainly a thought-provoking film and I will definitely watch the third part in the trilogy that is apparently being made about the Clinton-Blair relationship.

Its odd how mundane and boring low level political activity seems, to me at least, and how once it gets above a certain level appears to be of earth shaking importance; although I wonder to what extent governments really affect how the economy works. I guess they must have an influence due to the tax revenues they control, but I wonder if they ever achieve their intended effects, if organisations comprised of multiple individuals can actually have 'intentions'.