Well done, Mr Blair

Two entries today, as I had to comment on the whole Saudi Arabia bribes issue.

Let me say that I don't like Blair. On the whole, he and Brown have not done a good job with the country. I don't support Labour's values and I didn't vote for them.

But this time, he was right. Stopping the Serious Fraud Office from investigating the BAE deal was absolutely the right thing to do.

If you do business with the Saudis - and in the defence world this is BIG business - you have to deal with the corruption. This means paying bribes. No, it's not big and it's not clever, but in order to get the deal (and therefore ensure continued employment for thousands of British civilians, and deliver billions of pounds to the British economy), you have to grease a few palms. It's just the way it works over there. Take it or leave it.

It's worth it. The alternative is not to pay the bribes, and another country will get the gig, meaning we lose out. We may have obtained some moral highground, but that won't mean much to the jobless guy who is now losing his home.

It's also worth it from a strategic point of view. Saudi Arabia is a bit of a terrorist hotbed, and having the authorities on our side is invaluable.

For once, Mr Blair, you did the right thing.