'Sad' Blair cancels book appearance

Monday, 6 September 2010 4:57 PM

By Alex Stevenson

Tony Blair has called off a planned book signing session in the capital following protests against him at the weekend.

The former prime minister said it was "sad" that his promotional tour boosting sales of his political memoir, The Journey, was being disrupted because of security fears.

Eggs and shoes were thrown at a book signing event in Dublin. Fears that protests planned by anti-war protestors at a bookshop event in central London's Piccadilly this Wednesday could prove disruptive had caused him to earlier suggest he was considering the cancellation.

"The ones that are doing all the protesting are the ones that get all the publicity," Mr Blair said, as he publicised his book, on ITV1's Daybreak programme.

"To be frank I am concerned. I don't want to put everyone through a lot of cost and hassle at this Wednesday's signing so I am just thinking about that."

This afternoon the ex-PM apologised as he confirmed the move.

"I have decided not to go ahead with the signing as I don't want the public to be inconvenienced by the inevitable hassle caused by protestors," he said in a statement.

"I know the Metropolitan police would, as ever, have done a superb job in managing any disruption but I do not wish to impose an extra strain on police resources, simply for a book signing.

"I'm really sorry for those - as ever the majority - who would have come to have their books signed by me in person. I hope they understand."

Mr Blair's bestselling memoirs have seen him temporarily re-emerge on the British political scene with some outspoken comments.

He hit out against the coalition's criminal justice policies, telling the Telegraph newspaper he disagreed with justice secretary Kenneth Clarke's shift away from short-term jail sentences.

The man who presided over a dramatic increase in Britain's prison population, which now numbers over 85,000, said New Labour's measures had proved effective in tackling crime.

"I powerfully disagree with the trends the government is establishing," he said.

"You've got to put in prison those who deserve to be there, but it's a much bigger problem than that. I went through the same journey as the Conservatives, thinking this is a symptom of a broken society."

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