Bizarre discussions ahead of New Labour’s Cabinet ‘away day’ at Chequers are revealed in documents

It was billed as an important opportunity for senior ministers to discuss objectives.

But when suggestions were sought for the New Labour government’s first Cabinet ‘away day’ at Chequers, topics raised also included everything from what not to wear, lunch – and whether Tony Blair or Gordon Brown should speak first.

Two months ahead of the September 1998 event, Mr Blair’s chief of staff Jonathan Powell wrote in a memo that ‘key issues, like whether it is woolly jumpers or suits’ needed to be decided.

The knitwear option lost out. There was also discussion about a ‘proper lunch’.

Two months ahead of the Chequers ‘Away Day’ in 1998, discussions were had over appropriate attire and what to have for lunch

Mr Blair vetoed a plan for Mr Brown to speak first on the economy, instead preferring a general discussion lead by him 

Peter Mandelson suggested ‘something nicer than sandwiches’ and a buffet was eventually decided upon.

The files show that Mr Blair vetoed a plan for Mr Brown to speak first on the economy, suggesting it should be preceded by a general discussion ‘which I should lead’.

He added: ‘There is far too little discussion of general politics at present.’

The files also show that suggested topics for Sir Tony’s opening presentation about ‘lesson of year 1, objectives for year 2’ included that ‘we have a serious problem with a juvenile media’.

David Miliband, then Sir Tony’s head of policy, said in a memo: ‘The tradition of a TB/GB [Tony Blair/Gordon Brown] introduction and then one disjointed comment from each Cabinet member is pretty ghastly – and not very useful.’ He would later become Foreign Secretary under Gordon Brown

‘The smallest decisions can become big headlines. They refuse to report substance of what you do,’ a memo added.

Annual Cabinet ‘away days’ became something of a tradition under Tony Blair’s Labour government. But how useful they were appears unclear.

When one was being planned in 2000, David Miliband, then Sir Tony’s head of policy, said in a memo: ‘The tradition of a TB/GB [Tony Blair/Gordon Brown] introduction and then one disjointed comment from each Cabinet member is pretty ghastly – and not very useful.’

He then suggested what they might do ‘if we were a company’ – with an alternative format featuring key themes, threats and requirements – and added: ‘If we do this we may get some serious action points out of it.’