But those of us interested in politics and economics like to see ourselves as rational and focused on theories and concepts. Despite Blair’s modest manifesto, a Gallup poll nonetheless showed that 86% of voters believed that taxes would go up under Labour – yet still voted for them. And now I’ve joined the massed chorus commenting on the Blair book I’m actually going to sit down and read it! He did much of this by allowing the EU to … But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. His government was an enthusiastic participant in the bombing of Serbia in 1999, pushing the most hawkish line among NATO combatants. There have been a couple of blog entries about whether changing the voting system will help or hinder libertarian ideas. In the general election the following year, Labour was indeed re-elected but voter turnout slumped to 59% – the lowest since adult universal suffrage. 58% wanted wealth redistribution. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. He handed in his resignation to the Queen during a private meeting at Buckingham Palace. Tony Blair believed God wanted him to go to war to fight evil, claims his mentor . Secret testimony to Chilcot Inquiry by British intelligence shows former PM 'accepted Libya was a bigger threat' The way in which Blair is excoriated by everybody is weird. Facebook users type “Subversively move Tony Blair’s memoirs to the crime section in book shops” into search and join the group. Lone parents and people with disabilities were targeted – £3.2 bn was cut from the welfare budget even before Blair’s welfare ‘reforms’ came into force. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Tony Blair told today how his hair has not been this long since he was in a rock band decades ago. Here are some of the great things he achieved in office: Maintaining strong economic growth (the economy grew on an average of 3% each year during his time in office) which was considered Tony Blair at a press conference in Rimini, Italy, yesterday: 'I am and remain a Christian, seeking salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ.' As much as I hate doing it, I have given up on reading Blair’s book. But, it is a serious issue. Tony Blair and George Bush still seem an unlikely couple. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. So where does that leave those of us who deal in ideas? They believe, as Tony Blair obviously does, that their actions are unquestionably and absolutely right. “Did I watch the programme?”, he asked. So I think the important question is “Did Tony Blair move Labour in a direction that led to better government from 1997-2005 than another Labour leader would have given us?”. Its not that I disagree with his politics – though I do – but it is just so appallingly badly written. But, before I could answer he went off on a rant about Mr Blair as a liar, a murderer and that he would be forced to apologise before the one true God, and so on. It brought in 17 anti-crime bills and introduced anti-social behaviour orders, breaking the terms of which could lead to punishment in court despite no crime ever having been committed. Clearly he thinks that he made a difference, even to the extent of claiming he would have won a fourth term for Labour. View all posts by Labour Hub Editors, Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. By the second term, a bonfire of civil liberties was underway, the centrepiece of which, indefinite detention without trial, was abandoned only when it was ruled to violate the Human Rights Act. To ErrNo, while you and the other grown-ups are moving the book be very careful not to read any of it. Housing was perhaps the biggest lost opportunity. He wanted to break up a strong and united Great Britain by dismantling England and it's general hold on the union. He couldn’t believe Campbell lived in such an ordinary street. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent. 74% wanted no further privatisations. The Iraq war, Tony Blair and the Chilcot reportGuardian But nor does the one espoused by Blair’s more devoted followers and by Blair himself. Your prejudices are very precious and should not in any way be besmirched. It took New Labour over three years to bring out a consultation paper, during which time homelessness had doubled. So clearly Tony Blair is a controversial character and his memoirs have generated an enormous amount of interest. James Naughtie interviewed Tony Blair at the 2003 Labour Party Conference I once heard Hillary Clinton in a private moment expressing astonishment at his lack of doubt, using a … Despite Blair’s modest manifesto, a Gallup poll nonetheless showed that 86% of voters believed that taxes would go up under Labour – yet still voted for them. 72% of voters in May 1997 wanted an income tax increase to fund better education and public services. Next, Blair’s government introduced university tuition fees. Peter – or maybe he did not write his own book if his speeches are anything to go by! He won three elections and governed for ten years. We might presume that some, even much of this “trouble” would not have happened without him. And I believe that Blair was an interloper as far as England was concerned and a Scot with mostly Scottish interests at heart. But just how important was he as an individual? Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Of course, this is a very old argument and there are doubtless some Marxists who still chant “History is not made by great men” in their sleep. The former prime minister, who was in a band called Ugly Rumours when at Oxford, has spent the past year working with his Tony Blair Institute for Global Change on ways to fight Covid-19 and like millions of people in Britain did not go to the hairdresser for months during lockdown. Blair’s was the first ever Labour government not to raise levels of welfare benefit on taking office. They feel no guilt about killing, for instance, members of a clearly undemocratic party. In the Labour heartlands, widespread abstention was the response to being taken for granted. If our theories are correct, it ought not to matter who is pressing the levers. So it’s important to ask: did the invasion of Iraq make British streets safer? Tony Blair has said he did not enjoy being the UK Prime Minister due to the huge responsibility it entailed. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Labour Hub is edited by party activists who want to increase the influence of members in all aspects of how Labour is run. Blair’s government was also highly authoritarian. Blair has responded that, had Saddam and his sons not been removed from power in 2003, conflict would have later erupted in Iraq anyway because … Photograph: AGF s.r.l./Rex Features So clearly Tony Blair is a controversial character and his memoirs have generated an enormous amount of interest. Tony Blair told us we were going to war in order to make the world, including Britain, a safer place. The Blair government has been unusually explicit about its readiness to kill its opponents: this is not the first time. The Social Exclusion Unit was instructed to save, rather than spend, money. Undefined cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Tony Blair’s cosy relationship with media mogul Rupert Murdoch has been heavily criticised in the past after it was claimed he helped the leader to … We are living with the consequences still. In the May 2000 local elections, Labour lost over 500 seats to the Tories. One is from the Texan right; the other is from the British left. The thrust of its proposals was merely the transfer of council housing stock to private bodies. 72% of voters in May 1997 wanted an income tax increase to fund better education and public services. A decade later they found somewhere – the SNP wiped out Labour in its Scottish stronghold and UKIP began to make inroads elsewhere. I think it is highly unlikely that we would have had a Tory victory in 1997 whoever was leading Labour. Tony Blair once expressed a rather more elevated ambition than being no worse than the Tories. We are moving the books into the crime section wherever they are sold (or next to the wet wipes at Tesco’s) to make sure everybody knows where it belongs. Get informed. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. For most of his premiership, Tony Blair had firm control of both his cabinet and of parliament. New Labour were pretty complacent about this: Labour voters had nowhere else to go, surely? Remember too that Iraq was by no means the first military action for Blair. Tony Blair: I did not mislead this country… I believe we made the right decision An emotional Tony Blair insisted he could look “the nation in the eye and say I did not mislead this […] Tough legislation curtailed the rights of asylum seekers, with the added stigma of benefits being issued in the form of food vouchers. “Did I watch the programme?”, he asked. I believe in Europe with a strong and caring social dimension." You'll receive a verification email to acknowledge. Elected prime minister of the United Kingdom in May 1997, Tony Blair of the UK Labour party announced in October 2004 that he did not wish to stand for a fourth term. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. They were in for a shock. CC/235 351, LIMITED BY GUARANTEE. At the same time, the Blair government continued to sell armaments to a host of dictatorships and human rights abusers. Stay Informed. I believe in Europe with a strong and caring social dimension." And even if we were to believe that in fact a Conservative win in 1997 would have led to better government over the next few years than a Labour win (which I rather doubt), our system does presuppose (even ‘require’) some alternation of winning parties from time to time. If we actually want to learn from what happened, we should recognise that Tony Blair has been remarkably consistent in his view that the removal of the regime was necessary, whether or not … By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. For those who weren’t around, or who choose to believe that Blairism only unravelled as a result of the war in Iraq after 2003, it’s worth recalling what the early years of his government were actually like. I agree with Philip. He wasn’t exactly my cup of tea but he did try to move the Labour Party in the direction of a more rational economic policy. New Labour were elected by a landslide majority of 179 seats in 1997. FORMER Prime Minister Tony Blair admits New Labour's plans for devolution did not do enough to squash independence calls in Scotland but added … The things Tony said – memorable Blair quotes metrowebukmetro Wednesday 2 May 2007 10:49 am Share this article via facebook Share this article via twitter Share this article via messenger This of course was unthinkable. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! “The first rule in politics is that there are no rules, at least not in the sense of inevitable defeats or … Tony's father Leo, whose own biological parents were English traveling entertainers, was born Charles Leonard Augustus Parsons in Filey, Yorkshire, England, and was adopted by Mary and James Blair, who were from Glasgow, Scotland. Earlier, Mr Blair received a standing ovation from MPs in the Commons in unprecedented scenes at the end of his final prime minister's questions. On 18 March, 2003, Tony Blair persuaded the House of Commons to give the go ahead for military action, but “at the time of the parliamentary vote, … This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. REGISTERED IN ENGLAND 755502, CHARITY NO. Meanwhile it spent at least five times as much on its military assault as it did on humanitarian relief for refugees. But … Tony Blair believed in tying strong economic growth and efficiency with promoting social justice and the equal status of every citizen. In an address to the European Parliament, Blair stated: "I believe in Europe as a political project. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 74% wanted no further privatisations. **** I never did meet a Tony Blair, or even a Tonibler as they’re known in the Balkans, but I did find Blairism alive and kicking in the war-haunted, far south-east of Europe. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, 67, was pictured at Harry's Bar in London's Mayfair less than two weeks after returning from a two-day trip to the White House. 58% wanted wealth redistribution. According … These cookies do not store any personal information. As for building, fewer than a thousand units were constructed by local authorities in Blair’s first term. Add email to start...: The troubled economics of anti-consumerism, Hack away – and smile while doing it, minister, Fear of "cancellation" can be as insidious as state censorship. In this final study note on Tony Blair as Prime Minister we explore some key examples of what happened when Blair can be argued to have lost control of his Cabinet and / or parliament. Would Gordon Brown as prime minister from 1997 really have done better than Tony Blair? Tony Blair viewed his decision to go to war in Iraq and Kosovo … This lack of vision would prove costly, entrenching divisions between a prosperous south, increasingly dependent on parasitic financial services, and a stagnant hinterland, deprived of long-term investment. So when voices in the Party fulminate against Jeremy Corbyn over the loss of Labour’s heartlands, remind them that the seeds of neglect were sown in the years of our supposed most successful prime minister: Tony Blair. It failed to reconstruct Britain’s industrial base, so pummelled under Thatcher, despite a booming economy. I think the answer to that question is probably “yes”. The shortfall in higher education funding could have been met by rescinding of Gordon Brown’s 2% cut in corporation tax, at the time the lowest in western Europe. In the second term came the massively unpopular war on Iraq, which saw the biggest demonstrations in Britain in many decades. Its spending freeze meant cuts in education, health, transport and local government, forcing councils to slash and privatise cervices. Labour got re-elected in 2005 with fewer votes than in December 2019 – but in 2005 voters were not switching to the equally war-mongering Tories, but to smaller parties whose votes rarely translate into seats under our quaint electoral system. Tony Blair, as my taxi driver forcefully told me, “caused a lot of trouble in the world”. Instead the focus was on “welfare reform”, with Harriet Harman saying the previous Tory minister had let claimants “rip off the system” and Peter Mandelson speaking out against “throwing money at poverty”. I was in a taxi yesterday and after a brief chat about cricket and the virtue of the iPhone, the taxi driver – who, it is important to say, was of Pakistani origin – asked me what I thought of “that Blair”. Tony Blair, we are now constantly being reminded, is Labour’s most successful prime minister. Leo was raised in Glasgow, and Tony was then born in Edinburgh. The government announced it was sticking to the previous Tory government’s spending targets for the next two years – despite running a £5.7 billion surplus in the public accounts. The Blair government’s first act was to give responsibility for setting interest rates to the Bank of England, thus surrendering one of government’s most economic important levers to an unaccountable institution. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. But, before I could answer he went off on a rant about Mr Blair as a liar, a murderer and that he would be forced to apologise before the one true God, and so on. Given the mediocre calibre of many ‘leading’ Labour politicians (and the same is probably true of the Conservatives, as a rule), I suspect that the quality of the leader does make a difference. Mr Blair, who was prime minister between 1997 and 2007, also said it was “crazy” that the experience required for the role is so “nugatory”. But what if it really does depend more on the charisma, character and sheer luck of the particular politicians involved? In effect, he had publicly announced his resignation, albeit with an extraordinarily long notice period. He clearly didn’t write his own speeches if this book is anything to go by. Tony Blair has stood down as UK prime minister after 10 years in the job. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Among the Blair government’s many shortcomings were its failure to make significant inroads into child poverty, one of its central goals. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. What if the Falklands War hadn’t happened and Mrs Thatcher had remained unpopular; or Labour had elected Healey instead of Foot – or Brown instead of Blair? 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