Chris Patten lets rip in undiplomatic last blast
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-10-04 13:58

Jacques Chirac is ignorantly hostile to reform; Pervez Musharraf is "not a democrat"; and Dick Cheney's style is to stick up "two fingers" to the outside world. Oh, and Vladimir Putin is a liar.

The cover of Chris Patten's latest book "Not Quite the Diplomat" [sohu]

Former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten has let rip at the world's great and good in his latest book.

Patten, who stood down as European Union external relations chief last year, ending more than a decade on the world's public stage, pulls few punches in recounting behind-the-scenes tales of life at the top.

"Not Quite the Diplomat" is not only about indiscretions: the book sets out his views on everything from Turkey's EU hopes and the Iraq war to China's rising world role and resurgent hopes for Middle East peace.

But colourful swipes and acerbic anecdotes litter the tome, written from the comfort of Patten's new home back in his native England, where he is Chancellor of Oxford University.

"It says much of what I've wanted to say, but until now couldn't say candidly, about Britain, Europe, America and our rapidly changing world," writes the 60 year-old.

The avuncular former British Tory party chairman, who left for Hong Kong in 1992 after losing his parliamentary seat at home, spends much ink on questioning the record of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Like many critics of Blair's obsession with media spin, he accuses the New Labour leader of changing his views to suit public opinion.

"Mr. Blair, a usually likeable man, has convictions to which he holds strongly -- when he holds them. His convinctions change on issues... to reflect what he believes to be prevailing, convenient opinion," he writes.

One notable exception is Iraq, where Blair defied massive public opposition to throw London's political and military muscle behind President Bush's 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Patten concedes this was politically courageous. But he is deeply skeptical about the fundamental reasons for going to war, claiming that Blair had decided to go to war as early as a meeting with Bush in early 2002.

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