When Tony Blair was anti-European Union

Reading Berta Sullivan's Comparisons Are Odious (October 24), one would conclude that Joseph Muscat is trying to delude us that Tony Blair, today one of Europe's leading visionaries, was in the beginning a Eurosceptic who actually wanted to withdraw Britain from the European Union.

We should be thanking Ms Sullivan for saving us from these manipulations, by giving us quotes from Mr Blair's speeches. Or should we?

It seems that Ms Sullivan, intentionally or not, did not do her research properly. She did not go far back and in detail enough to see how Mr Blair actually launched his career in British politics.

To substantiate, I must quote. In the 1983 by-election, one of his main themes was actually the withdrawal of Britain from the EEC.

In an article for the local newspaper, the South Bucks Observer, on April 10, 1982, he supported the "Labour Party's present leadership" on all important matters including "withdrawal from the EEC". Mr Blair's election leaflet stated: "Above all, the EEC takes away Britain's freedom to follow the economic policies we need." During his 1983 election address, Mr Blair said: "We will negotiate withdrawal from the EEC which has drained our natural resources and destroyed our jobs."

So there you have it. Ms Sullivan, who also happens to be a PN employee, missed these initial moments of Mr Blair's political career.

We should give her the benefit of the doubt, as I don't think that her intentions are in any way malicious towards Dr Muscat. Furthermore, I don't really see anything wrong in this sort of change of opinion and position. The situations and conditions around us change continuously. Allies and friends develop unendingly, depending on strategic and economic factors. If opportunities change and emerge for the benefit of the country, a good leader would seize and excel in them.