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The Point of Departure
This volume provides an inside account of the Blair government from former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, who resigned over the Iraqi crisis.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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About the author
Robin F. Cook
11 booksRobert Finlayson Cook was a British Labour politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Livingston from 1983 until his death, and notably served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001.
He resigned from his positions as Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons on 17 March 2003 in protest against the invasion of Iraq. At the time of his death, he was President of the Foreign Policy Centre and a vice-president of the America All Party Parliamentary Group and the Global Security and Non-Proliferation All Party Parliamentary Group.
He resigned from his positions as Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons on 17 March 2003 in protest against the invasion of Iraq. At the time of his death, he was President of the Foreign Policy Centre and a vice-president of the America All Party Parliamentary Group and the Global Security and Non-Proliferation All Party Parliamentary Group.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 23, 2018
Did you know that only two countries in the world allow hereditary chieftains to make laws? Neither did I until I read this book. The answer to the question if you're interested is Lesotho and the UK. One African leader said that he could not be expected to bring full democracy to his country in 50 years when the UK had failed to do it in 500 years. You have to say that he has a point!
It shows how badly we need to be rid of the mockery that is the House of Lords. That is what Robin Cook was tasked to do in Tony Blair's government-reform the House of Lords and bring it screaming out of the Dark Ages. Cook tried so hard to deliver this and his battles with senior Lords members and the Blair government itself were fascinating. It really was a thankless task and ended up in failure when Blair gave his support to the Lords members, effectively killing the reform bill. It was fascinating to see how Tony Blair did everything he could to sabotage this attempt at change after telling the public that his government would do it. It's just another example of what Tony Blair is really like-saying one thing to your face and then going behind your back to undermine you.
Cook's insight into political interviews is something else that I agree with. He thinks that it should give the politician a chance to answer questions, defend his policy and explain to the public what he or she is actually trying to achieve. I agree that political interviews at the moment are very frustrating to listen to. A lot of interviewers aren't interested in getting the facts for the viewer, instead being more interested in their own agenda which usually involves trying to catch the MP out and scoring cheap points. I cannot stand when a question is asked and when the politician tries to answer, the interviewer is interrupting and not letting them speak. It drives me mad! I want to actually hear the answers to the questions!
The more books I read written by Labour MPs the more I see that Tony Blair was always style over substance, telling people what they wanted to hear, caring more about his public image than delivering on his promises to the people. Blair seemed so fearful of damaging his popularity that he dithered over plenty of policies that he should have delivered. It is disappointing because I was so excited when he won the election in 1997...I sat up through the night to celebrate that Labour Party win with a few beers and some snacks, and it was great! Now I look back with a feeling of utter disillusionment, and reading these books confirms it. The irony for me is that the one time he decided to push ahead with an unpopular policy was the Iraq War, and it was the one time when he should've shown more sense.
Cook basically seems to be saying that Blair was obsessed with being the number one ally to the US, which would also increase his own world standing, and I think that is pretty accurate. While it is a good thing to be allies, it should not come at the expense of common sense and blindly backing a policy that is wrong. The US on the other hand, didn't seem greatly bothered by the opinions of its allies, allies that were tolerated rather than needed. That is shown in the way Bush basically told Blair that he was going to invade Iraq with or without Britain, causing Blair to rush to his side. It was a mistake that destroyed Blair's popularity, which seems somewhat ironic!
There were also some pieces of information that surprised me, like the then head of the US Armed Forces Committee being unaware that Austria and Hungary were seperate countries and no longer a single empire! That was pretty shocking to me. As were senior US officials being unaware that the International Court dealing with war crimes was in the Netherlands not Belgium. It makes you wonder how we can trust these people to decide on when they take us to war when they know so little about the world around them.
I think what I liked best was Cook's analysis of the 'proof' that Iraq was a danger to the UK. He went through it in great detail and I thought is was so interesting-and pretty shocking. It seems insane to me now that we chose to go to war on such flimsy and questionable material, which became known as the dodgy dossier. I confess that back then I didn't have the internet so I was relying on what the government said about why we had to go to war. Had I access to the news sources I have now, I think my opinion would have been very different.
This book was really interesting and gave a full insight into the inner workings and chaos of the Blair government in the run up to the Iraq war. I very much enjoyed reading it.
It shows how badly we need to be rid of the mockery that is the House of Lords. That is what Robin Cook was tasked to do in Tony Blair's government-reform the House of Lords and bring it screaming out of the Dark Ages. Cook tried so hard to deliver this and his battles with senior Lords members and the Blair government itself were fascinating. It really was a thankless task and ended up in failure when Blair gave his support to the Lords members, effectively killing the reform bill. It was fascinating to see how Tony Blair did everything he could to sabotage this attempt at change after telling the public that his government would do it. It's just another example of what Tony Blair is really like-saying one thing to your face and then going behind your back to undermine you.
Cook's insight into political interviews is something else that I agree with. He thinks that it should give the politician a chance to answer questions, defend his policy and explain to the public what he or she is actually trying to achieve. I agree that political interviews at the moment are very frustrating to listen to. A lot of interviewers aren't interested in getting the facts for the viewer, instead being more interested in their own agenda which usually involves trying to catch the MP out and scoring cheap points. I cannot stand when a question is asked and when the politician tries to answer, the interviewer is interrupting and not letting them speak. It drives me mad! I want to actually hear the answers to the questions!
The more books I read written by Labour MPs the more I see that Tony Blair was always style over substance, telling people what they wanted to hear, caring more about his public image than delivering on his promises to the people. Blair seemed so fearful of damaging his popularity that he dithered over plenty of policies that he should have delivered. It is disappointing because I was so excited when he won the election in 1997...I sat up through the night to celebrate that Labour Party win with a few beers and some snacks, and it was great! Now I look back with a feeling of utter disillusionment, and reading these books confirms it. The irony for me is that the one time he decided to push ahead with an unpopular policy was the Iraq War, and it was the one time when he should've shown more sense.
Cook basically seems to be saying that Blair was obsessed with being the number one ally to the US, which would also increase his own world standing, and I think that is pretty accurate. While it is a good thing to be allies, it should not come at the expense of common sense and blindly backing a policy that is wrong. The US on the other hand, didn't seem greatly bothered by the opinions of its allies, allies that were tolerated rather than needed. That is shown in the way Bush basically told Blair that he was going to invade Iraq with or without Britain, causing Blair to rush to his side. It was a mistake that destroyed Blair's popularity, which seems somewhat ironic!
There were also some pieces of information that surprised me, like the then head of the US Armed Forces Committee being unaware that Austria and Hungary were seperate countries and no longer a single empire! That was pretty shocking to me. As were senior US officials being unaware that the International Court dealing with war crimes was in the Netherlands not Belgium. It makes you wonder how we can trust these people to decide on when they take us to war when they know so little about the world around them.
I think what I liked best was Cook's analysis of the 'proof' that Iraq was a danger to the UK. He went through it in great detail and I thought is was so interesting-and pretty shocking. It seems insane to me now that we chose to go to war on such flimsy and questionable material, which became known as the dodgy dossier. I confess that back then I didn't have the internet so I was relying on what the government said about why we had to go to war. Had I access to the news sources I have now, I think my opinion would have been very different.
This book was really interesting and gave a full insight into the inner workings and chaos of the Blair government in the run up to the Iraq war. I very much enjoyed reading it.
May 8, 2022
I’ve always been somewhat ambivalent on the Blair legacy. New Labour achieved a great deal over the course of their 13 years which is deserving of respect. Plenty of that is boring and mundane, but the list of progressive policies is impressive: the introduction of a national minimum wage, the massive investment in the NHS to increase staff and reduce waiting times, major reductions in the number of children and pensioners living in poverty, an impressively progressive tax system with brackets from -200% to +40%, investment in education to reduce class sizes, the continuation of the Northern Ireland peace process, major investment in renewable energies, particularly wind, to meet and even beat the nation’s Kyoto targets, smoking bans, reduced crime (concomitant with reduced poverty and unemployment), doubled overseas aid budget and cancelled debt for the poorest countries, the fox hunting ban, devolution with more modern governmental bodies and democratic systems, etc. Even some of the smaller changes which Cook alludes to, such as the change in working hours in parliament, were fundamentally beneficial to the workings of government.
New Labour brought together a lot of talented and principled individuals, benefiting from Blair/Campbell’s ability to win elections, Brown’s mastery in Number 11, and the fact that the opposition preferred to look for their leadership at the bottom of the barrel.
And yet. And yet for all the good that came out of the New Labour years, so much important work was left undone, so much sacrificed at the altar of gullibility, stupidity and hubris, that the door was left open for the good work to be rolled back and torn up. Reading Cook’s notes on the period surrounding the start of the Iraq War, it’s fascinating to see how just much political capital Blair wasted on his doomed project to stand shoulder to shoulder with a moron. The issue of House of Lords reform, to finally bring British politics kicking and screaming out of the 19th century, was fairly effectively torpedoed and the opportunity wasted, leaving Britain the only country in the world where the bicameral ratio is top-heavy. Instead of pushing forth with a referendum on the euro which might have firmly integrated the UK into the European project, Blair lost so much faith with his misadventures in Iraq that the issue ended up being tabled completely.
Iraq is probably what Blair is most remembered for, and it amazes me even now just how much incompetence, perfidy and hubris was on display in the weeks and months leading up to the decision to invade. Cook doesn’t reveal anything one wouldn’t expect; his resignation speech, transcribed in the back, pretty much sums up what anyone with a few brain cells and a spine was thinking. But this book puts into context what exactly Blair wasted by playing puppy dog to the simpleton in the White House, with whom he shared absolutely no common cause, and in the name of American exceptionalism would quite happily give that puppy a good kicking any time it suited American interests. Though it’s too easy to lay all the blame on Blair’s shoulders – and easy to forget that parliament showed their support with a symbolic vote, Tories of all flavours voting in favour of the government, a reminder perhaps that politics is too serious a matter to leave in the hands of politicians. Kudos to Cook for being a man of principle; his untimely death was a great loss to British and indeed European politics.
New Labour brought together a lot of talented and principled individuals, benefiting from Blair/Campbell’s ability to win elections, Brown’s mastery in Number 11, and the fact that the opposition preferred to look for their leadership at the bottom of the barrel.
And yet. And yet for all the good that came out of the New Labour years, so much important work was left undone, so much sacrificed at the altar of gullibility, stupidity and hubris, that the door was left open for the good work to be rolled back and torn up. Reading Cook’s notes on the period surrounding the start of the Iraq War, it’s fascinating to see how just much political capital Blair wasted on his doomed project to stand shoulder to shoulder with a moron. The issue of House of Lords reform, to finally bring British politics kicking and screaming out of the 19th century, was fairly effectively torpedoed and the opportunity wasted, leaving Britain the only country in the world where the bicameral ratio is top-heavy. Instead of pushing forth with a referendum on the euro which might have firmly integrated the UK into the European project, Blair lost so much faith with his misadventures in Iraq that the issue ended up being tabled completely.
Iraq is probably what Blair is most remembered for, and it amazes me even now just how much incompetence, perfidy and hubris was on display in the weeks and months leading up to the decision to invade. Cook doesn’t reveal anything one wouldn’t expect; his resignation speech, transcribed in the back, pretty much sums up what anyone with a few brain cells and a spine was thinking. But this book puts into context what exactly Blair wasted by playing puppy dog to the simpleton in the White House, with whom he shared absolutely no common cause, and in the name of American exceptionalism would quite happily give that puppy a good kicking any time it suited American interests. Though it’s too easy to lay all the blame on Blair’s shoulders – and easy to forget that parliament showed their support with a symbolic vote, Tories of all flavours voting in favour of the government, a reminder perhaps that politics is too serious a matter to leave in the hands of politicians. Kudos to Cook for being a man of principle; his untimely death was a great loss to British and indeed European politics.
September 1, 2019
Such a shame that the world isn’t governed by people with such humanity, intelligence, patience and sense of civic duty as Robin Cook. Every aspiring and actual politician should be made to read this epic.
October 6, 2019
A fascinating and revealing insight to an honourable man's response to (often dishonourable) events. Whatever one's party political inclination(s), Robin Cook was one of those figures one could respect, not least for his integrity, the sort of politician/statesman in short supply these days.
September 22, 2020
Written in diary form with breakdowns of Cook's analysis on big issues, this book offers a huge insight into the mechanisms of government, Blair's leadership and the problems over Iraq.
Cook offers incredible political analysis of many of the issues that affect us today including declining turnout, House of Lords reform, NeoLiberalism and where the party should have moved to.
Cook offers incredible political analysis of many of the issues that affect us today including declining turnout, House of Lords reform, NeoLiberalism and where the party should have moved to.
June 19, 2023
Even with the passing of years, this story remains worthy of reading and considering how politicians can make and effect decisions.
April 30, 2025
When you consider the level of political debate the world is currently being subjected to, it is a breath of fresh air to read a political memoir written with such intelligence and depth, albeit one that shows us that there is little to divide the current landscape with that of the Blair era, particularly its second term.
I found it fascinating to read about the hitherto successful policy of containment in Iraq, which was swept aside by ruthless political ambition and an apparently mindless lust for personal glory. It makes for an illuminating warning from history.
There is also a great deal about his working to reform the House of Lords, and some interesting personal anecdotes which reveal the humanity behind the driven man. The late Mr Cook comes across here as a man of honesty and integrity, committed to ideals which he struggled to achieve.
I am glad to have read this.
I found it fascinating to read about the hitherto successful policy of containment in Iraq, which was swept aside by ruthless political ambition and an apparently mindless lust for personal glory. It makes for an illuminating warning from history.
There is also a great deal about his working to reform the House of Lords, and some interesting personal anecdotes which reveal the humanity behind the driven man. The late Mr Cook comes across here as a man of honesty and integrity, committed to ideals which he struggled to achieve.
I am glad to have read this.
April 26, 2013
The book starts off a little dull and I found the tone a little too self-congratulatory. Despite that, there's no doubting the conviction of Robin Cook to his principles. That combined with his excellent insight into the working of Tony Blair's cabinet, aided by an insider's view of the whole institution, makes this an absorbing read. I think I enjoyed it even more because my personal political convictions match up very well with Cook's and I found myself agreeing with him throughout the book. It's a shame he died to soon and so tragically.
August 9, 2011
Whether you agreed or disagreed with Robin Cook, nobody can deny that he was a committed and honourable politician, and a man of great political integrity. This book just confirms that. Men of his stature are sadly lacking in British politics, and he is sadly missed.
September 15, 2012
Fabulous insights. Brave man. Great read.
October 8, 2016
Still relevant in 2016. Witty, informative and fair - a real glimpse into the government decision to go to war in Iraq
Currently reading
May 21, 2007Robin Cook's analysis of the Blair government is careful and incisive.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews