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CNN Live At Daybreak

Euro Edition: Morning Papers

Aired January 12, 2004 - 05:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Looking overseas, once again, is British Prime Minister Tony Blair having health problems?
Let's take you live to London and Becky Anderson. She has our 'Euro Edition.'

Interesting -- Becky.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's not often that the guys at the top suggest or admit to the fact that the pressure of the job is a strain. But on national television yesterday, Sunday, Tony Blair did exactly that. He said pressure at No. 10 leaves me fatigued, admits Mr. Blair. And he said he had lost the popularity with -- quote -- "1,000 people kicking my backside morning, noon and night." And the question was if that was what happened -- that's what's happening with you, wouldn't you feel the strain and feel slightly fatigued? He has had health problems, as we all know, but he says that doesn't stop him doing the job effectively.

It's going to be a tough three weeks for Mr. Blair, coming up, with the result of the Hutton inquiry. Lord Hutton's inquiry into the death of the scientist David Kelly and into the role of the government in naming David Kelly in the whole affair. The result of that comes out in the next three weeks, and Tony Blair admitting to the fact that it's going to be a tough time for him ahead.

And he also admitted to the fact that he doesn't want to stay around until 2010. There had been some speculation that he would be pushing to be prime minister through the next elections which would take him up to 2010, 13 years in the prime ministerial chair. Of course in the U.K. you can go on for as long as you like, as long as your party puts you there. You don't have to give up after two terms. And Tony Blair saying that he won't do that, that he will go at some point before 2010. So for those who don't like him, they'll be relieved.

And civil liberties eroded in the U.K. is the other big story out in Europe today. Big brother Britain 2004, four million CCTV cameras watch the general public every day. If you are a Londoner, for example, in the city of London and you are just moving around, apparently you are caught on CCTV camera at least 300 times a day. And the civil liberty guys are out there storming ahead with their anxieties and their arguments as to why we shouldn't have our civil liberties eroded like that by these cameras. There's something like 14 cameras -- no, 1 camera for every 14 people in a city like London. And you are caught, as I say, on camera 300 times a day. Frightening stuff. Back to you guys.

COSTELLO: We have the same problem here, or some might call it a problem, others call it security.

Becky Anderson live from London this morning.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. Absolutely.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 12, 2004 - 05:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Looking overseas, once again, is British Prime Minister Tony Blair having health problems?
Let's take you live to London and Becky Anderson. She has our 'Euro Edition.'

Interesting -- Becky.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's not often that the guys at the top suggest or admit to the fact that the pressure of the job is a strain. But on national television yesterday, Sunday, Tony Blair did exactly that. He said pressure at No. 10 leaves me fatigued, admits Mr. Blair. And he said he had lost the popularity with -- quote -- "1,000 people kicking my backside morning, noon and night." And the question was if that was what happened -- that's what's happening with you, wouldn't you feel the strain and feel slightly fatigued? He has had health problems, as we all know, but he says that doesn't stop him doing the job effectively.

It's going to be a tough three weeks for Mr. Blair, coming up, with the result of the Hutton inquiry. Lord Hutton's inquiry into the death of the scientist David Kelly and into the role of the government in naming David Kelly in the whole affair. The result of that comes out in the next three weeks, and Tony Blair admitting to the fact that it's going to be a tough time for him ahead.

And he also admitted to the fact that he doesn't want to stay around until 2010. There had been some speculation that he would be pushing to be prime minister through the next elections which would take him up to 2010, 13 years in the prime ministerial chair. Of course in the U.K. you can go on for as long as you like, as long as your party puts you there. You don't have to give up after two terms. And Tony Blair saying that he won't do that, that he will go at some point before 2010. So for those who don't like him, they'll be relieved.

And civil liberties eroded in the U.K. is the other big story out in Europe today. Big brother Britain 2004, four million CCTV cameras watch the general public every day. If you are a Londoner, for example, in the city of London and you are just moving around, apparently you are caught on CCTV camera at least 300 times a day. And the civil liberty guys are out there storming ahead with their anxieties and their arguments as to why we shouldn't have our civil liberties eroded like that by these cameras. There's something like 14 cameras -- no, 1 camera for every 14 people in a city like London. And you are caught, as I say, on camera 300 times a day. Frightening stuff. Back to you guys.

COSTELLO: We have the same problem here, or some might call it a problem, others call it security.

Becky Anderson live from London this morning.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. Absolutely.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com