London, November 15, 1999

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Hard to believe

By AUBERON WAUGH

A SAD result of all the lies told to us before, during and after Mr. Blair's war against Yugoslavia is that l now find the greatest difficulty in believing anything I am told on any subject.

We are solemnly informed by the Government that the whole world looks on our Millennium Dome with admiration and envy. Those of us who travel abroad, or even meet foreigners in this country, will know that this is simply not true. They regard the enterprise with indifference at best, pity or mockery at worst.

If they are prepared to lie about that, why should we believe that a million tickets have been sold for the Dome. l do not believe it. I do not believe that anything like that number has been sold.

Only recently, we were told that the 20 regional selling points in the north of England had sold fewer than 100 tickets between them. I cannot prove these people are lying, but l do not believe a word they say.

Since Kosovo, the same scepticism must greet every public announcement. Anything we are told is as likely as not untrue. We will never be able to hold our heads high again until Blair, Cook and the rest of them have received a fair trial for their alleged bombing of a friendly nation last March.

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