Friday 17th March 2000

Bernie Ecclestone launched a savage attack on Tony Blair after a £1 million donation to the Labour party was returned after it became public knowledge, amid accusations it had been given in a bid to get Formula One an exemption from the ban on tobacco advertising. Ecclestone said they had agreed to stick to a “keep mum” policy, refusing either to confirm or deny questions about any donations. Instead, without warning, Blair “started talking”. In early 1997 he had promised Labour managers that he would keep quiet about his donation. “I rarely regret anything I do, but I’m disappointed that Blair could not keep his word about that,” he said. “I said to those clowns: if someone puts me up against the wall with a machinegun, I will not confirm or deny anything about the donation. They said, okay, okay, we will do the same. The next thing that happens is that Blair has started talking. I only found out by accident. It is third-rate behaviour.”