Jess v Tony

By Mark Simpson

POSTED: Wednesday 20 April, 1445BST

Leeds student Jess Haigh gave Tony Blair his first campaign confrontation of 2005.

Sipping coffee in a city centre shopping mall, Jess seized her chance to give the PM a piece of her mind.

Jess 1, Tony 1

Blair sat down at her table, and very soon he was on the defensive as Jess, 20, told him Labour had lost its socialist roots.

"It's heart-wrenching," she told him, and accused him of acting like a Conservative. She was also angry about globalisation and the Iraq war.

Although she comes from a Labour-supporting family in Scarborough, she told the PM that she and many others had become disillusioned. On May 5, she said she'd be voting Lib Dem.

Blair pointed out that she might then be letting in a Tory. Jess shrugged her shoulders.

Afterwards I asked her if Blair had changed her mind and she said "not a chance".

So was this the first PR disaster of the Blair 2005 campaign?

Not really. The PM kept his cool and listened rather than bombarded her with jargon, leaving most observers to judge this verbal battle as a score-draw.

The "masochism strategy" is back. And it could be here to stay.

Your comments

A stage managed event yet TB still gets hijacked by a "real person"! As Corporal Jones (Dad's Army) used to say "They don't like it up 'em".
Philip Wright, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

In response to Peter, it wasnt in fact any of the chains, but a carefully stage managed "coffee shop" set up especially for the occasion. Tony still seems to be shying away from the traditional walkaround!
Jon, Leeds

Starbucks and Masochism, an acronym redefined.
Candace, New Jersey, US

Did she honestly have nothing better to do with her time?
Apathy, London, Uk

Personally, as a socialist and a Blairite, I find the idea that I'm no different than a Tory quite offensive.
Rob, Cardiff, UK

As a life long socialist and member of the Labour Party, I agree with Jess. I will be voting Liberal for the first time this year. I doubt that it will have any effect on the outcome in my constituency, but hopefully the current MP will get the message that he can't take my vote for granted. So my hope is that Labour wins, but needs the Liberal Democrats support to run the country.
Tom, Sedgefield, England

In response to those savaging me - Nottingham city centre has 11 coffee shops. Four Starbucks, three Costas, two Pret-a-mangers, a Coffee Republic & a Cafe Nero. Neither of them make more than a token effort towards fair-trade. On balance of probability I doubt if Leeds city centre is any different. However if any reader can send me the address of this socialist-coffee shop paradise which protests against Starbucks I'll happily apologise.
Peter, Nottingham

Good for her,standing her ground, about time politicians faced real people instead of stage managed ones, I'm sure this young lady won't be last.
Darrin

If Jess Haig is so opposed to globalisation why is she drinking coffee in a shopping-mall coffee shop? Is there a more demonised "global monster" than Starbucks? This merely shows the hypocrisy of socialists and is one more point in Tony's favour.
Peter, Nottingham

In response to Peter from Nottingham, the coffee shop may well have been a fair trade one. Judging by the coffee cups the venue was not a Starbucks.
Thomas Steuart-Feilding, Bristol, UK

For all you know she was drinking Fairtrade coffee under a placard reading "No to Starbucks" - the article simply doesn't mention it. Your own prejudices are showing here.
Adam, London, UK

Tony Blair seems to support tactical voting. Actually in many places (most notably Folkestone and Hythe, Michael Howard's constituency) the Lib Dems are the strongest opposition to the Conservatives. That said, even in a Conservative/Labour marginal I wouldn't vote Labour. The way I see it, either way a 'Tory' gets in.
Helen, Cambridge, UK

I see Tony's at the "vote Lib Dem, get the Tories" nonsense. It is impossible if Labour votes swing to the Lib Dems to get a Tory majority. Wish she picked him up on that..or someone would, as it's getting tiring.
John Wards, Fir Tree, UK

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