Tony Blair's Interview on the Iraq War and the Chilcot Inquiry

Interim Report
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Introduction
Politeness is an important aspect of interpersonal communication, and politicians have used the pragmatic approach in communication. Face management is one of the strategies in effective communication. The case for using politeness is that speakers have the opportunity to diffuse tension when placed in a threatening situation. Since politeness is associated with consideration of other people perspective, and speakers who use politeness to foster respect as they are nice (Hinck, Hinck, & Dailey, 2007, p. 63). Tony Blair the former British Prime Minister effectively used his oration skills to articulate his vision after the 2003 Iraqi invasion with questions surrounding his support for war efforts.
Since Blair was no longer in a position to craft a message using a public relations and communication team, while using his oratory skills to defend his policy decisions during his tenure. The articulation of ideas requires that speakers use persuasive strategies, and even as the professional interviewer ought to be impartial, the response of the interviewee and face management influence the people’s perception. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair Chilcot interview highlights his attempt to minimise threats using the strategy of politeness rather than failure to address concerns raised by the inquiry, which was undertaken over seven years.
Context
Tony Blair's interview on the Iraq War and the Chilcot inquiry provided an opportunity for Blair to articulate his vision and support his reputation in the face of damning reports and questions on motives behind Britain’s involvement in Iraq invasion. The strategy of politeness had been effective in the past, but the Chilcot report reignited debate surrounding the question of Britain’s role in the Iraq invasion was carried out without proper and credible intelligence. The British public wanted accountability, and Tony Blair was right to respond, but in defending his legacy, Blair’s attempt to use politeness may have been interpreted as dishonesty. Additionally, Blair did not equivocally accept responsibility for destabilising Iraq as his aim in the interview and response to the Chilcot report was to defend his legacy.
Despite the scathing attacks that Tony Blair following the Chilcot report, he was calm when faced with criticism for supporting War. This set the tone for the exchange when encountering with face-threatening acts. Politeness is effective when the listeners and the interview can understand the self-image being projected, and the more people respect the person the more they are willing to listen to them and understand their point of view. The dilemma for Tony Blair was to ensure that the people respected his face without appearing to be coerced. The interaction of the speaker and the hearer is an important indicator of whose face is threatened during the interview.
Blair’s persuasiveness allowed him to seek the public support for the war in Iraq, while using a polarisation strategy to contrast Saddam Hussein’s reign with impending changes that would make Iraq more democratic and eliminate terrorism. Blair used similar arguments in the interview as he had done before. Using politeness strategy had been effective in the past. Blair further alluded that he would do the same if placed in a similar position and provided with intelligence reports. However, the political situation had changed, and the media was not receptive to the idea focusing more on the damaging aspects of the Chilcot report.
Literature review
New Labour under Blair employed professional news and media management, such that the government officials would spin stories and set the agenda since there was favourable media coverage. Government reforms were depicted as changes based on facts and not fictional myths to ensure that there was support among the citizenry and build credibility. For instance, when reforming welfare, there were previous press statements, and careful planning of road shows to minimize the risk of the unpredictable media reporting on the negative aspects of the government actions (Franklin, 2004, p. 25). The use of political press agents was prominent during the Blair administration compared to previous eras, but this was also associated with politics being packaged like consumer products (Franklin, 2004, p. 28). As such, new Labour prioritized controlling perceptions, and there was emphasis on the language used in summaries of government documents, press release and press reports.
Tony Blair attempted to negotiate meaning with the public throughout the Chilcot and Iraq inquiry, acknowledging that mistakes may have been made but the situation called for immediate action. In the past, Blair based his leadership on the principles of partnership and opportunity to work together with people (Finlayson & Martin, 2008, p. 453). This is consistent with his demeanour during the interview as he presented a reconciliatory tone. To Blair the Iraq decisions were to be considered based on the circumstances. Blair was a break from the past ushering a new age of Labour politics, with his self- assurance, confidence and support for changes. However, Blair may also have come out as ‘oversmooth’ and inexperienced (Fairclough, 2000, p. 96).
Blair’s rhetoric also highlighted his role as a family man, to emphasise his fatherhood credentials, and this person may have endeared him to the audience (Smith, 2008, p. 557). This was in line with his persona in public where he was polite and ‘likeable’. Similarly, Gordon Brown the next Labour Prime Minister projected himself as a doting father in some cases, but he was more restrained and more keen on separating private life from public life reticent (Smith, 2008). However, it is likely that the Labour politicians drew their experiences as active fathers and family men to humanise their administrations and connect with the electorate as this was associated with positive media coverage (Smith, 2008, 558).
Blair’s style merged both the public life and private life with a sense of being a normal person, and this may have made him a more likeable person (The Guardian, 2000). Additionally, in public speeches, Blair managed to use vernacular language as used by the people and public language common in political circles (The Guardian, 2000). As such, Blair was able to draw attention to middle-class values and moral authority as embodied by his vision of the ‘Third Way’ and the New Left. Blair’s Labour Party did not focus exclusively on trade unions and championing the working class like the Old Left since Labour was now modern. Tony Blair was not only able to craft an image of toughness in his rhetoric, but also used policies and strategies that supported this, while demonstrating that he was self-assured of his viewpoints (The Guardian, 2000).
Engelbert (2012, pp 1-2) points out that New Labor transcended the right and left, where the ‘Third Way’ th...