The Last Days Of Blair...?

So, from the looks of things, it looks as though Teflon Tony's time is up. All the shit has finally began to wither his coat of many colors. Good thing? Bad thing? Thing thing?

At the start of his first term, I liked the guy. A lot. But not in a gay way. Even though I disagreed with his decision to back Bush, I kept thinking he was a decent, intelligent, and charismatic Prime Minister, but as the crap has unfolded my rose-tinted glasses have taken on different shades...shit-colored shades, to be precise. Especially, that whole 'Yo Blair...' conversation with Bush. Ugh.

Anyway, what are you thoughts? Do you think it's time he went? What has been his greatest achievement, and his biggest mistake? Do you think he will go? Also, is Gordon Brown really a good alternative? Are the days of New Labour's dominace over?

Say something, won't cha?

Link, innit?

'Nother one, innit?

I feel that if he hadn't backed Bush then not only would his country have been better off, but the world in general as well. I feel that without at least his support the war never would have started.

I wonder if he ever thinks "Ahh, hindsight, my old friend..."

Probably not. He genuinely seems to think he's doing something positive for the world.

the man is quite clearly a power hungry lunatic who is having his hands wrenched off the helm of the country

funny thing is...the only legacy that that labour party can attest to over the last 9 1/2 years in power is that the economy is relatively stable (if somewhat on a knife edge) and thats due to Gordon Brown

lets look at some of those brilliant Tony Blairs ideas

the millenium dome...750 million pounds for 1 year being open...do the maths and that would mean that charging £10 per person would have to mean you had 205,500 visitors a day to break even...genius maths

Private finance initiative schemes whereby private companies invest money into public sector areas such as the building of new hospitals and schools...resulting in empty schools costing the tax payer over £50,000 a week to maintain despite the fact that they dont get used and making huge profits for the private companies at the expense of the tax payer

UK immigration policy which saw the police ignoring illegal black market workers because as soon as they are arrested, they apply for asylum and thus increase the official immigration figures which the government tried to keep low...thus resulting in the deaths of 20+ chinese workers in morcambe bay drowned

he presided over the extremely successful Northern ireland peace treaty which resulted in the creation of the northern ireland assembly at stormont which now lies empty because of spying scandals and fighting which has seen the moderate loyalist David trimble being ousted by the extremist Ian Paisley...meaning that any chance of a proper agreement in NI is now pretty much dead

he brought in university top up fees thus helping to make the universities more elitist like "the good ol' days" when only rich folk like himself could afford to go to university...even though he got his university education for free...he denies that right to others

there is one other Tony that is leader and shows alot of the same characteristics as Mr Blair...and he woke up this morning...and got himself a gun

I think it's about time we had a Prime Minister's who's tongue wasn't permanantly jammed up the President's butt.

I agree we want some who does not start a war

He has made many crucial mistakes while in power. It is definitively his time to go.

Apart from the whole unnecessary war thing, his obsession with ID cards is worrying, to say the least.

I never voted Labour, but Tony struck me as a genuine person trying to do his best and what he thought was right. I think a lot of what is said about him is close to slander. History will judge him more positively, I feel.

I also think the Labour party is now dancing into Fairyland if they think they will be better off without him.

Blair won three elections and has international capital. Most of the rest of Labour is a bunch of non-entities. Now, all politicians have a shelf life and Blair's is obviously nearly done, but the near cathartic way in which Labour seems determined to dump the best leader they have had in living memory- instead of just letting him ride it out- is close to suicide.

The Tories win from this backstabbing.

Yeah, the funny thing is that the Tories are riding up the opinion polls on the back of a Blair clone.

Whether he was trying to do his best is a moot point when his actions and support engender wars, and increase conflicts.

That depends on your opinion of the war, I would have thought.

Cameron isn't a clone, he is just using a technique. That is what Blairism is; it is not a personality, it is a method.

Well, your opinion of the war is either the correct one (It's bullshit!), or the incorrect one (It's righteous!), so I guess I see your point there...

Of course Cameron is a clone! He's even been styled to look like him! The irony is that he's winning the polls because people are fed-up with Blair, so what do they do? Look for an identikit! Hahahaha...Good ol' Brits...

Well, I call that two clueless opinions in one post myself. That's politics for you.

I also think they are both opinions history won't rate highly.

Wow, have you found a mysterious third way of considering the war(s)? That is political, but sadly the reality is as I stated it.

Bad, bad, bad decisions by powerful, powerful, powerful men.

Forgive my ignorance, but when would have Blair's term 'expired' provided his shelf-life hasn't?

Not much of an alternative though, was there?

Let's take Blair out of the equation. You are left then with the Tories still in power. All we would have then is the same decision but made far more quickly

The only party with an anti-war stance in this country is the Liberal Democrats, and any idea held only by them has a political capital of zero.

Like it or not, pro-war or anti-war is not a set fact for you to declare, it is merely a debate upon which people have opinions and to which final arbitration on right or wrong is a long way off. All your declarations otherwise don't change a thing.

Meanwhile, Blair achieved more to advance the social side of this nation than any party since Atlee's. In areas of Human Rights, for example the homosexual Age of Consent, he achieved what the Tories could never have done. And in demolishing ine Tories so totally, he put into motion the events that would finally get them to change into something better, even though they are taking a painfully long time about it.

Blair's net effect on this nation has been positive. He is a giant of post-war politics. He's done well- and without him, Labour has nearly nothing to show for itself and nothing to offer.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
Forgive my ignorance, but when would have Blair's term 'expired' provided his shelf-life hasn't?

Well, he wanted to do three terms. Sounds fair.

What's that? I can't decide whether the country of my birth goes to war or not? Really? Wow...

He demolished the Tories so totally that they now seek to mirror his policies. Does that leave England as a one-party nation, or do you still consider the Lib Dems as an electable alternative? In that case: Thanks, Tony!

I'm not denying that he has done some admirable things, but you don't judge a rapist by weighing his good deeds with bad; some things are inexcusable. Like helping facilitate a war that has caused greater divisions all over the world...

Good stuff.

Once a person hates a politician is utter pointless to debate. I realize that ages ago. My only question is if there really is a need to rush the guy out of his job?

That was a humble, almost melancholy, little speech by Blair. It's such a shame that his legacy will be tainted by his poodling to Bush's bark.

Blair's net effect on this nation has been positive.

i disagree...the people of this country have given far more than they have taken

the only reason unemployment is down is that the government has created 500,000 public sector jobs...it now realises that this is completely unsustainable and is hacking away at the NHS but is cutting all the wrong jobs...their are examples of hospitals where there are 4 administrators for every patient...where is the efficiency...

it shows quite plainly why people pay taxes which have almost doubled in 10 years

the last records showed a 50% increase in NHS spending for a 5% increase in productivity...

high paid industry has been replaced by low paid service work in much of the country...so even though the job numbers dont change significantly...the amount each worker earns does

the proof is in the fact that the introduction of the national minimum wage hasn't really effected the poverty figures at all

long gone are the days when a British passport garnered some degree of respect throughout the world...in no small part due to Blair's foreign policy not just in relation to Iraq but also due to his inept presidency of the G8 and the EU