Cabinet Confidential

A revealing one-off documentary that provides an inside view of how Tony Blair and former prime ministers - including Harold Wilson , Margaret Thatcher and John Major - have run their cabinet, the highest decision-making body in the land. Through candid interviews, rare archive footage and filming inside No 10, presenter Michael Cockerell opens the door to the Government's own chamber of secrets as he seeks the answer to the question: is the notion of cabinet government an obsolete concept?
Includes an aspect ratio change which required stopping and restarting recording. Transmitted 17 November 2001.

[@liamb8644]

It’s actually quite upsetting to see Gordon Brown expecting a baby because she sadly passed after 10 days

[@LunaRose1312]

Really, that's sad

[@BossySwan]

Bless him

[@zulkiflijamil4033]

Really, that hurts and so sad. Bless him

[@Red__Law]

"If and when British politics does return to normal..." 20 years on and things are more barmy than ever 😂😭

[@onyourbike_ldn]

Wow and this was 2 years ago. Wonder what you are thinking now 😂

[@MrDavidht]

John Prescott is the best example of how far someone from the humblest background can rise in this country with a thick skin a loud voice and no talent worth speaking of.

[@marcusclark5330]

@Andrew Wilson best bit of pr he ever had that. I mean if someone throws an egg in your face from a yard out, in my eyes you're asking for a smack...

[@BossySwan]

Right hook

[@KevinBradshaw1972]

Tony Blair was a very lucky politican. Became leader after the death of another, at a time when the government was bent on self destruction, had virtually no decent opposition for most of the time as PM, won an election (2005) with just 35% of the vote, became PM with a healthy economy.

[@nelsonfraser2800]

And used all that luck, opportunity and wealth to become one of the most hated PMs of modern history. Strange old world.

[@oliverbayley3509]

And then left a few months before the economy went down the toilet.

[@kevinlongman007]

@@oliverbayley3509 That was Gordon Brown's fault as he forced Blair out and he had been Chancellor for the last 10 years so should have foreseen the economic crash if he was as shit hot as he claimed.

[@schroederscurrentevents3844]

Yea, he reminds me of Bill Clinton in that way. Incredibly lucky and gets incredibly popularity due to it, and then ruins it all.

[@ethanreed9899]

Delusion of its highest order. The best PM we’ve had. Modernised the country, led a prosperous economy, introduced vital social policy and took the cabinet by the scruff of the neck whereas other PMs had been rolled over by it. The wars were justified as well. But I won’t get into that haha.

[@kevinlongman007]

Mo Mowlam is telling the truth while Prescott's answers are as slippery as an eel!

[@MrGranfield]

What you mean is you agree with Mowlam and disagree with Prescott.

[@kevinlongman007]

@@MrGranfield Damn right. Mo Mowlam always told it how it is and cut through all the bullshit.

[@piccupaul]

"Every time Prescott opens his mouth, it's like someone has flipped open his head and stuck in an egg whisk." Simon Hoggart (The GUARDIAN!)

[@LTLuka]

Most likely cause Mowlam (RIP) wasn't part of the cabinet at this time Kev, Prescott was and was still under the convention of collective responsibility so he can't go willy-nilly and criticise the government all he wants because he was part of it! Saw this in the New Labour documentary when most interviewees gave critical accounts of what happened which they could've never done when they were part of the cabinet! Prescott has to play that annoying dodging of questions role that politicians, which I completely agree is so irritating however he did later say he had no vote in the cabinet after he left the cabinet with Labour (possibly showing he wasn't being so annoying just because that is who he is)

[@nadrini300]

Great documentary. Thanks for sharing!

[@Ezinma88]

Very interested to see how cabinet government under Boris Johnson compares to Tony Blair's depicted here. Bless Mo Mowlam for always speaking her mind, right to the end. RIP.

[@onyourbike_ldn]

Great channel, thanks

[@sarahjrandomnumbers]

57:39 "If and when British politics does return to normal..." AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Greetings from 2021!

[@SpeedbirdAircrew]

It’s obvious Prescott was clueless but can see why he became an mp as he manages to sound convincing to the uninformed

[@pendorran]

I'm convinced that history will judge Tony Blair's impact on Cabinet government and Parliamentary democracy to have been entirely negative and corrosive.

[@joecurran2811]

One of our worst PM's ever when you consider the conditions he took over

[@yogihaughton]

Loved this

[@lisawilliams7836]

Thank you very much.

[@cBearTV-]

Redwoods advisor has confessed to the leaking which was done under his instructions, so him still lying is ridiculous.

[@humanforfreedom9583]

I cant believe you would pick him out as a bad guy, when he never killed anybody and tony blair a genocidaire is in the documentary. Its like seeing Stalin and Jesus in a documentary and commenting that jesus is a terrible person, its disgusting, straighten up.

[@DavidSmith-cw7we]

Redwood. Snake in the grass..

[@passiveaggressive6175]

@@humanforfreedom9583 ❄️

[@chrispalmer7893]

@@humanforfreedom9583 Redwood is not, and never has been Jesus. I'm sure he'd have loved to have the chance to get a bit of genocide in if he got the chance (Redwood, not Jesus - Jesus has merely inspired a fair bit of genocide), but fortunately for everyone he's never been allowed anywhere near proper power. He'll be forever remembered for failing to beat a PM who was about as unpopular as PMs can be and for being a sort of prototype Jacob Rees-Mogg. He has the soft-spoken psuedo-eloquence that can make someone of incredibly limited intellect seem far cleverer than they are.

[@ken-ip4ih]

Amazing how this doc had so many big hitters

[@BossySwan]

A weak floppy thing in the chair 😂

[@benson5468]

3/4 Of a billion for a tent

[@sapainca]

Blair claimed the Dome would be "a triumph of confidence over cynicism, boldness over blandness, excellence over mediocrity”. - the Dome crystallises the Labour project overall with its largesse, overspend and superficiality. We paid for this when the bank crisis occurred and Majors hoarding of the treasury had been largely squandered

[@deanunio]

It’s still there as a major London venue…. Making a fair bit of cash and in an area of regeneration.. what’s the issue

[@andysouth6624]

The private sector came to the rescue, on this occasion

[@markhayward7400]

Effective Cabinet govt has ceased to exist in the UK. Cabinet doesn't discuss, inform, decide, agree or reject policy any longer. It rubber stamps what has already been decided, which is what the PM wants

[@johnking5174]

8:00 - I don't want to be picky here, but Harold Wilson really only properly won the 1966 general election. The 1964 and Oct 1974 elections were thin victories of majorities of 5 and 3 respectively. The Feb 1974 election was not a majority, and just a minority government. Yes he became Prime Minister on those occasions, but hardly the whopping victories of Macmillan, Thatcher and Blair styles.

[@kevinlongman007]

But Wilson still won those elections and he was still Prime Minister!

[@johnking5174]

@@kevinlongman007 I did say I was being picky. Winning a general election for me means winning a proper majority. Now Wilson didn't win a majority in Feb 1974, and squeaked a majority in 64 and Oct 74 - only 1966 did he win a thumping majority, I know I am being picky, but it is not me being anti Labour - I would say the same about Theresa May, she LOST the 2017 general election, as she was forced to form a deal with the revolting DUP from Northern Ireland.

[@kevinlongman007]

@@johnking5174 Yes but Blair won three in a row with huge majorities, as did Attlee in 1945.

[@user-jw5qb9ez1p]

@@kevinlongman007 This comment is one which I am struggling to understand? Why would you bring Blair and Attlee into this? (and to correct you Attlee only won 2 elections) This guy is only stating the truth about Harold Wilson. I am completely struggling to understand your response.

[@kevinlongman007]

@@user-jw5qb9ez1p I did not say Attlee won three I said he won by a huge majority in 1945. I brought Blair and Attlee into it because although Wilson won narrrowly in 1964 and Oct '74 he still won a majority and apart from those two elections and the 1950 election all of the Labour victories have been with handsome majorities.

[@zulkiflijamil4033]

"This is the first time a War Cabinet is being filmed" Thanks a lot David Boothroyd

[@insertclevername4123]

--What do you say to critics who say that you run a presidential-style administration and don't listen to your cabinet? --Well, that's just wrong; they're free to talk.

[@stephaniemurria5534]

RIP Mrs. Thatcher

[@Knappa22]

“He misjudged it, didn’t he.” What an utterly vomitous snake Redwood is.

[@kevinlongman007]

He was one of the bastards Major was referring to.

[@schlongersaurus]

Hisssssss

[@humanforfreedom9583]

I cant believe you would pick him out as a bad guy over a leak, when he never killed anybody and tony blair a baby murdering genocidaire is in the documentary. Its like seeing Stalin and Jesus in a documentary and commenting that jesus is a terrible person, its disgusting, straighten up.

[@schlongersaurus]

@@humanforfreedom9583 did you really just compare John Redwood to Jesus

[@stephaniemurria5534]

Yes

[@gregb6469]

Re Eden and the Suez matter, Ike later said that his decision to reign in the British/French/Israeli attempt to retake the Canal was the worst one he made as president.

[@christopheroshea9799]

Blairs one dangerous hypocrite

[@s4rthakforreal]

So he's a hypocrite? well, every society, in this case, every country has to have one.

[@reeceseaman3052]

13:50 what's the piano tune?

[@ken-ip4ih]

JFC Wilson’s cabinet was full of big beasts

[@narcher91]

John Redwood is kind of creepy.

[@williamusrex6417]

Nick Archer kind of? He’s a total weirdo! Must be from a constituency that would vote for a coat-stand if it had a Tory rosette on it.

[@elicrowleyycontreras1135]

@@williamusrex6417 He's from South Wales LOL

[@humanforfreedom9583]

He has the look of a creep but hes actually more decent than any of them which is why the satanic media hates him so much as well as barbara castle tony benn margaret thacther and all the other patriots

[@kuryakn]

@@humanforfreedom9583 All those people are pieces of shite.

[@kareemwail4495]

@@kuryakn Barbara Castle was alright

[@silversteel6312]

But what was the year pop pickers?

[@mikebaum5301]

Alistair Campbell being part of the war cabinet sums Blair’s tenure up

[@DBIVUK]

This is loose wording by Michael Cockerell. The 'war cabinet' they're talking about was a cabinet committee, and Alistair Campbell was not an actual member (he could not be because he was not a Minister). Attending the meetings isn't the same as being a member of it.

[@mikebaum5301]

@@DBIVUK I get that I just felt that Campbell’s influence on Blair was toxic.

[@sarahjrandomnumbers]

11:38 Well we all knew John Major went against the scientific approach when it came to anything. "Hey lets join the ERM!" "That would be a totally batshit crazy idea which will lead to a financial collapse of all of the member of it." "NAAAAAAAAAH! WHY YOU ALWAYS LYING!" *some time later, black Wednesday happens*

[@Oscuros]

Well, actually the problem was not the ERM. The ERM did not magically cause Black Wednesday, that's not really how the ERM or Black Wednesday really works. The ERM is now the Euro. When the pound was not a part of the EU, it was getting tonked by the DM, which was and is basically the Euro. That's with the pound floating. With the ERM, the British could blag the price and talk up the pound, a delusion to support our exports. See the advantage? Well, Black Wednesday was actually about traders not being happy with the fake price the government was setting vs the DM, so they all tanked it, especially British traders. I remember the stripey-shirted twats mooning into the camera how they'd earnt their masters quarter of a million pounds for tanking the pound from right there in Canary Wharf. That was also the last of our Gold reserves that went that night. I didn't believe they could do it either, and they didn't. We've never had physical gold reserves since then. Now all we have is just digital gold chits to trade with like beggars. Those gold reserves lasted about... an hour? Also, literally no one said that the ERM would lead to a collapse of all the members in it, because Germany was and is the strongest member of the ERM, the EU and the Euro, you shouldn't make shit up, because some of us lived through it and remember, so we just have to say this and it's game over for your bullshit attempt at creative writing based on guesswork.

[@sarahjrandomnumbers]

@@Oscuros I didn't say it magically caused black wednesday. Here, let me highlight the key words in what I said. "That would be a totally batshit crazy idea * *which will lead to a financial collapse* *of all of the member of it."

[@chrispalmer7893]

@@sarahjrandomnumbers Literally no one said that the ERM was a batshit crazy idea, nor that it would lead to a financial collapse of all members of it. There was, in fact, a broad consensus that it was the right thing to do at the time - it was welcomed by all the main parties, by all the papers, and by academics of all stripes. Now, in retrospect, almost no one saw that we entered at too high a rate, and nor could they - two years of events separated entry and exit. But you're not going to be overly interested in that, because you also seem to think the ERM or the Euro caused the financial difficulties that came later so you're obviously not especially interested in reality...

[@sarahjrandomnumbers]

@@chrispalmer7893 Quotation marks can also be used to indicate sarcasm. FYI.

[@chrispalmer7893]

@@sarahjrandomnumbers Makes even less sense if that’s what you were going for…

[@sibionic]

Barbara Moore's Vocal Shades and Tones used ill-advisedly at 15.08

[@BossySwan]

RIP Moo Mowlam

[@martinjenkins6467]

Gee the UK were slow coaches , Australia Gave interest rates to the reserve bank in The late 90s.

[@DBIVUK]

Giving central bank complete independent authority to set interest rates wasn't that far off if you compare the two - Australia in 1996, UK in 1997. Both just after a change of government. But in the UK it had been a totally political decision before that point, while Australia had previously had a semi-independent system.

[@user-eh3ou7oq4w]

Phony Blair's greatest achievement, the 3/4 of a billion pound dome.

[@Touhou-forever]

As a Irish person I do give credit to both Tony Blair and John Major for what did for northern Ireland do I think that Tony Blair had a big ego like Boris Johnson well who knows they are both completely different people so I'm not completely sure

[@endersdm-bp9to]

hi meir :)

[@timevans3562]

Huh - Prescott - still cant answer a question - what a plonker

[@bluelv]

Yeah, it’s weird seeing them go after Mo histories not gonna treat them well for that.

[@alanobrien4020]

Blair was way to accommodating to Gordon, he should have sacked him

[@ken-ip4ih]

Leaks eventually got to Blair’s cabinet lol…

[@charlieforster9910]

the music is so over dramatic

[@niceguy235uk1]

I miss Maggie.

[@charlieislarge7213]

you're a sket

[@kevindare3113]

I miss Maggie

[@ibetchan9866]

Me too from hongkongers

[@amyclarke41]

ook

[@BossySwan]

Order order

[@robertewing3114]

Eden showed how not to do it, just as Chamberlain showed how to do it. Suez showed the wisdom of the policy that Churchill inherited, the policy that built the modern world, the policy that Eden resigned from in 1938, and in 1956 he resigns again as a consequence of not taking the aspirin Chamberlain advised. How shameful it is that the world has slurred Chamberlain rather than chosen the road of sanity.

[@tamioenmu3190]

20:22

[@whatthefrickbro]

I’ll vote conservative just to ensure labour never have another cabinet

[@jgsh8062]

Wondering how you feel now?

[@lalagun5205]

The animated snow cosmetically cheat because meter selectively list notwithstanding a fallacious pasta. steady, aggressive deficit

[@tamioenmu3190]

25:36