Ontelly

Belief - Series 5 - Tony Blair

Logo for Belief - Series 5 - Tony Blair

Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with authors, screenwriters, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was a committed Christian throughout his premiership. His press secretary, Alistair Campbell, once said, 'we don't do God', fearing his boss would be considered a 'nutter' by the British public. Since leaving office, Blair has converted to Catholicism and talked more freely about the importance of his faith to him. Joan hears how faith and politics have gone hand in hand for Tony Blair since his days at university; she hears how his faith helped him take on the job of leading the country; how he now views his decision to invade Iraq; and what he hopes the Tony Blair Faith Foundation will achieve. His role as envoy to the international Quartet involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process regularly takes him to the Holy Land, and Joan hears what impact these visits have on his own faith.