Lady Diana, Iraq, Iran, Clinton, Bush and Brown are a few of the familiar and expected names featured in ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair’s memoirs, published on Wednesday.

As the Labour leadership contest takes its first votes in a protracted race which will not end until 25 September, Mr Blair was expected to indicate his backing for one of the five candidates.

However, Blair’s popularity is very low. Favouratism from Mr Blair may be negative for a candidate.

Mr Blair was also televised on BBC in a pre-recorded programme called “The Tony Blair Interview with Andrew Marr.” In the interview with one of the UK’s top political pundits, Blair gave hints but no actual endorsement of Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Miliband.

Mr Blair and the present leadership favourite, David Milliband share a strong camaraderie. The Telegraph cites an anecdote from the book which happened in May 2007 just before Mr Brown was to take over as Prime Minister.

“What would happen if I went for it?” Mr Miliband asked about going for the party leadership post. “You could win, I think,” Mr Blair replied.

While Foreign Secretary last year, Mr Miliband strongly supported Mr Blair to be the first permanent President of the European Union. Mr Blair, in his book, frequently praises David Miliband’s intelligence and describes how he tried to explain complex issues that Mr Blair did not understand.

More support for David Miliband’s leadership candidacy comes in the book. David, the elder of the Miliband brothers, espouses New Labour. His brother, Ed, at present second favourite to win the leadership, wants to forge a path closer to lower-wage citizens, the traditional support base for the Labour party before Tony Blair became leader.

Blair asks himself why Labour lost, and, according to The Telegraph, replies: “The response, I fear, is obvious. It won as New Labour. It lost by ceasing to be that.”

In the tv interview, there was no change in Blair’s remorseless review of the decision to invade Iraq.

In the Radio Times, the BBC’s weekly TV and radio guide, David Butcher comments “When donating several million pounds of book royalties to charity … is dismissed as ‘blood money’, you know you’re in trouble.”

Tony Blair’s Memoirs May Guide Labour Leadership Race