Blairs legacy ?

bbc
video

Tony Blair has said his legacy as prime minister will "stand the test of time" and the "final building blocks" of reform are being put in place.
He told BBC One's Politics Show that reducing NHS waiting times, building more schools and tackling anti-social behaviour were among his achievements.

He said planned policy announcements were not aimed at "binding" his successor, but "doing what is right".

His legacy would be judged "in the long term", Mr Blair added.

'Different politician'

Mr Blair, who is expected to announce his departure from office next month, said: "When you ask the question 'Will our changes stand the test of time?', the answer is they will."

He said he had become a "different type of politician" during his 10 years in Downing Street.

Mr Blair added that he had "tried to take decisions that are in the country's long-term interest".

Critics have argued that a planned series of announcements on health, education and anti-social behaviour are aimed at controlling the policy agenda of his successor, widely expected to be Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Mr Blair said: "It's nothing to do with binding the hands of my successor. It's doing what is right."

in your opinions in almost 10 years of being in power
what has blair done for this country?

in my opinion i dont see that much

he gained power in 97 promising to cut gun crime after the shool shootings
gun crime increases every year

housing prices boom so the average wage cant afford a home

iligeal war which has cost this country money and the lives of service men and women and those lives of Iraqis

and so forth

his legacy in my opinion will be that of a failed leader

What has Blair done?

He has turned the UK into a Orwellian Police State, where schoolkids are fingerprinted, everyone is watched on camera, and where highly incompetant police actions are going unpunished.

He has dragged the UK's hard-earned international standing through the gutter just to please some American Nazis.

He has made just about anyone with a braincell in the UK lose all faith in politics through his constant lies and spin.

He has left the British Military seriously underfunded.

He has declared a serious want to tackle environmental issues, but his crusade stops short of real action, and as per usual, relies on taxing and taxing and yet more taxing.

He has let our prison system overflow, and only NOW has decided to build more prisons of any great size.

He has flooded vital public systems tuch as the NHS with ridiculous amounts of pencil pushers and managment types, in order to 'create jobs' for people who then, funnily enough, voted for him.

He has declared a want to take on crime, yet crime, in particularly violent crime, has sky-rocketed.

He has let education slide. Seriously, some of today's kids are bloody STUPID, and I am only 22 and saying that.

He has been alarmingly lax on immigration regulation.

He has tried half-heartedly to help ensure integration of immigrants into British society, but his policies have been so naive and ill-planned that most of them, if not all, have backfired.

He has contributed to the decay of the UK as a nation by his disasterous plans of devolution.

He has taken us into an illegal war under false pretenses, and has the blood of civilians and UK service personnel on his hands.

He has brainwashed huge sections of our community into a ultraparanoid state, causing divisions in society.

He has become a war criminal.

He has betrayed the UK. Need I remind that being a Traitor is the only crime still punishable by hanging in the UK? (Ok, only joking about hanging him, but seriously, I am PI$$ED OFF with Blair)

So yeah... that's quite a legacy there...

It's hard to say, and I don't think anyone can really say what Blair will be remembered for with a great deal of accuracy until at least fifteen or twenty years have passed. In order to look at someone's term objectively it's necessary for a certain about of time to have passed - people are just beginning to assess the legacy of Margaret Thatcher now, for instance, as we're approaching the 20th anniversary of her becoming Prime Minister.

Speaking from a contemporary perspective, though, I would say a real mixed bag, no doubt - negative things like Iraq and cash-for-honours (even if nothing comes of it) and the fights with Gordon Brown will always hang around, but I think people will also remember things such as the levels of investment into public services, peace in Northern Ireland and the defeat of Slobodan Milošević. Just like every other Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he's done some good things and some bad things.

On the house prices issue, that's a result of low interest rates (which is the result of low inflation, which means the economy is in good shape) - a similar thing happened under Thatcher in that house prices had shot up between the time she entered office (about £60,000) and the time she left (about £110,000 though they did drop in the early 1990s) .

[edit on 16/4/07 by Ste2652]

Northern Ireland.

I think its quite sad how people have ignored what happened in my country. Love him or hate him, Blair got the republicans to end its armed campaign and has brought about democracy into Northern Ireland.

It's been nearly 10 years since a major republican terrorist attack.

As an Irishmen, I feel quite sad how people have quickly ignored what happened in Northern Ireland

Yeah...I've never been pro-Blair, but if I met him, I would shake his hand for what he did for my Country.

[edit on 17-4-2007 by infinite]

It's far too soon to say with any certainty how TB will be looked at in time.

It's also perfectly true to say that certain changes and achievements will stand out.
I pick 3 I reckon will stand the test of time.

1) Quite rightly the end to Europe's biggest, most spohisticated and deadliest low-level civil/terrorist war and the start of cross community cooperative Gov in Northern Ireland will probably rank as his greatest achievement of all.
From it looking at one point as a 'they'll never solve that' issue and tolerating a level of death and destruction that should never have been accptable to todays repeated 'well I honestly thought I'd never live to see the day that happened' TB deserves huge credit for the time and effort he and his Gov put into this matter
(and in fact IMO it is to the great shame of his predecessors that they did nothing like as much for peace as he).

2) Not having a single economic recession during his 10 year time as PM is also something that may well be appreciated in time
(sadly, probably as contrast, particularly if we end up having to suffer another tory Gov that lands us with one - or more).
A lack of national mass unemployment is a feature some will miss should that wasteful horror return.
Whilst the young may (rightly) find current (private) house-prices appalling & unbelievable they might care to consider that it has been that way for some time here.
I had friends in the 80's & 90's in England where the whole full-time salary of one of them was required to pay the mortgage.

.....and negative equity in a time of deep recession, job uncertainty and high unemployment is a something I hope never returns - being made redundant whilst being unable to move or even just sell up without owing the bank/buliding soc. several tens of thousands of £ is something I hope few ever encounter again.

3) Constitutional reform.
The devolution of powers in the 'home nations' of the UK will be a lasting and profound benefit to all concerned.
Of course there may be falling out or spats from time to time but the present looser union has a far greater chance of long-term survival and benefit to us all that the previous 'straight-jacket' which was always a source of great tensions.
Not forgetting the removal of almost all the hereditary Lords from the HOL and, at long last, the incorporation of the ECHR
(which, far from being some sort of a foreign 'European imposition' as some would have it, came about thanks to the UK which in fact helped to create it in the late 1940s).

[edit on 17-4-2007 by sminkeypinkey]

Tony Blairs Legacy hmmmmmmmms lemme see....

Tarnished the UK's International reputations by going to war with the USA, (iraq), Imbroiled in the cash for honours scandal, Not being tough enough with Iran over the Armed Personell Crisis... Slowly but surely turning the UK in to a Police State......

The only memorable new item for me was, when Bliar slapped down the ex UN Ambassador, John Bolton, now that was a classic...... (Betcah John Bolton wasne too happy)...Oh and that ridiculous performance on Comic relief, Im I bothered, do i look botherd lol

Give me three years betcha alot will have forgotten about him...... I sure will have that is for sure.

Legacy? Shmegacy!!
Ok, I admit I`m biased, but I will say that Bliar has indeed tarnished the international reputation of Britain, especially England. The Ireland peace process was an idea whose "Time had come", so is not attributable to TB in my opinion. It would have happened anyway.
TB`s real legacy will be that of having reduced civil liberties and of making it acceptable for politicians to make decisions led by media intetests and POV`s.
Also, that of consolidating an anti-west feeling amongst many moslem fundys by playing straight into their hands and propaganda aims.
Also, that of undermining the socialist agenda therefore moving the two main parties onto centre-right grounds and leaving the electorate with nothing to choose between our two main parties. Orwelian indeed.
His legacy will be a triumph of style over substance, with the public left to suffer. Rest assured he wont be left in poverty.

there is a petition for him to resign on the govt. e-petitions website. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU!! petitions.pm.gov.uk...

[edit on 23-4-2007 by MistahBear]

[edit on 23-4-2007 by MistahBear]