Blair Using Rent-A-Mob to Block Media

"The British media are not exactly thrilled with the way the Labour Party is tightly controlling media coverage of the prime minister.

"An example came during an election poster launch by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at Billingsgate fish market.

"According to the few journalists who were able to attend the event, once the two men had done their bit for the cameras - and it is the TV audience these events are really aimed at - some of the journalists attempted to ask questions.

"At which point a phalanx of party supporters - apparently bussed in for these occasions - were pushed in front of their leaders to shield them from the prying media. No questions were allowed. They also seemed to burst into coordinated clapping just at the right time to drown out questions from the press.