Labour lessons?

BBC Breakfast with Frost, Sunday 15 August, 2004.

The former Cabinet Minister Robin Cook told Peter Sissons about his mission to repair the Labour Party's relationship with its grassroots - and especially with Muslim voters.

Former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, MP

Mr Cook has been visiting mosques and addressing meetings during the past few months - urging people to support Labour, even if they opposed the war in Iraq.

But he said the Prime Minister needed to demonstrate that he had learned lessons from the conflict:

"If he is going to reach out to these people and bring them back to Labour, he needs to make clear that Iraq was unique, that it is not going to happen again," Mr Cook said.

No leadership challenge?

He added that he hoped the autumn conference would show the party was united: "Tony Blair has his part to play in achieving that unity and building that unity.

"Nobody is going to seriously challenge Tony for the leadership, but as he himself might put it, leadership has responsibilities as well as rights.

"And I think that he needs to listen to the party, to the wider country, particularly all those millions of people who were very concerned about going to war in the first place."

Iraq tensions?

Peter discussed the current situation in Iraq with the British Government's former envoy to Baghdad, Sir Jeremy Greenstock.

Former envoy in Baghdad, Sir Jeremy Greenstock

Sir Jeremy said Iraq was beginning to develop the structures of a democratic state - despite the recent upsurge in violence, by Shia militia loyal to the radical cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr.

"I don't believe that Moqtada has a majority appeal in the country.

Most Iraqis do not want a theocratic religious state. They want law and order.

"The Moqtada message is not one for all Iraqis," Sir Jeremy said.

King's return

With the Olympic Games now well under way, Peter talked to former King Constantine of Greece about the transformation of this homeland into a modern, democratic state.

The former monarch was speaking from Athens, during what is only his third visit since he went into exile nearly 40 years ago.

But he said he had been made very welcome, and was now hoping to buy a house in Greece. Asked if he would renounce his title, Constantine replied: "I don't have one ...

"Everybody knows that I was the former king of the country and they address me as such.

"There is no reason to do anything other than just carry on with my life as I am."

Interview with ex King Constantine

London 2012?

Peter also discussed London's bid to stage the Olympics in 2012 with the chairman of the campaign, Lord Coe.

He said the Games would leave the capital with a legacy of improved facilities without incurring excessive costs.

"We know what the boundaries are, we know what the constraints are, and we know that we have to build excellence without extravagance," Lord Coe said.

Interview with Lord Coe

Newspapers reviewed by Jane Moore and Stanley Johnson

Peter's other guest was the trans Atlantic oarsman, Jonathan Gornall - whose recent attempt to set a new record for rowing across the ocean ended with the dramatic rescue of him and fellow crew members, after their boat was destroyed by a freak wave.

Interview with Jonathan Gornall

The newspapers were reviewed by the Sun columnist Jane Moore and Stanley Johnson (would-be Conservative MP), and father of the Tory culture spokesman, Boris Johnson.

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