Former Tony Blair aide

FORMER director of political and government relations to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Anji Hunter yesterday said there was no prescribed formula to make opposition parties attractive to the electorate in any part of the world.

Speaking at a luncheon at Melange Restaurant in Woodbrook, Hunter who is now British Petroleum’s Group Director of Brand and Communications, said Britain’s Labour Party was once considered unattractive to the British electorate during the eras of the Margaret Thatcher and John Major Conservative administrations, for many reasons such as infiltration left-wing ideologies.

She added that corrective action taken within the ranks of the party turned the situation around and helped Blair, one of her closest friends since she was 15, to lead the party to victory over the Conservatives in 1997.

Asked afterwards by Newsday whether there was a specific formula for correcting failings in opposition parties which have ambitions of forming the government, Hunter said none existed and methods used varied in different countries.

She added that she was not familiar with the political scenario in TT to make a comment and would never contemplate doing so. Hunter said she believed there should be a clear differentiation of the roles played by business and government in any society. She said the former should never assume the responsibility to wholly takeover the duties of the latter.

Stating that there were similarities between her new and last portfolio, Hunter said she believed that more women should become involved in the global oil and gas business because they had a lot to offer the industry.