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What will Tony Blair's legacy be?
It's ten years since Mr Blair led Labour to the first of three consecutive election victories in the United Kingdom. What are his achievements and failures?
Mr Blair led the modernisation of the Labour Party, branding it "New Labour". The historic commitment to public ownership was rejected. Education, health and social reforms were introduced.
After 9/11 Mr Blair adopted a more international agenda. He sent British troops into Afghanistan and Iraq. He is expected to step down soon after this week's local elections.
What's your verdict on Tony Blair's ten years as prime minister? Have you ever met him? How has your life changed? How has he changed the UK?
Mr Blair led the modernisation of the Labour Party, branding it "New Labour". The historic commitment to public ownership was rejected. Education, health and social reforms were introduced.
After 9/11 Mr Blair adopted a more international agenda. He sent British troops into Afghanistan and Iraq. He is expected to step down soon after this week's local elections.
What's your verdict on Tony Blair's ten years as prime minister? Have you ever met him? How has your life changed? How has he changed the UK?
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Speed camaras 
wish i could swear lol! - 'ruining' the NHS, getting us nearly killed in London 7/7, hopefully for being the first prime minister to be on war crimes charges and bodily removed from number 10
the guy is a self-serving tosser. I have despised almost every decision his government has made, and his insufferable attitude and self-satisfied smile is reason alone to hate him.
So his, legacy? Not good.
So his, legacy? Not good.
did anyone see the programme made about him 'The Trial of Tony Blair', the joke at the start was that it was 2011 and he was just about to leave office lol! it was scary because that could actually happen
I think his legacy will be fairly positive. History might well vindicate him on Iraq yet - deaths and troops home in wooden boxes matter less with every year of distance put between them and the present. Yet the idea of him being the glorious liberator who disregarded public opinion might go down well.
As for domestic stuff - yes, I think he'll be considered solid if unexciting on that front. Perhaps the end of Labour's socialist stage and the bringer of a new beginning.
As for domestic stuff - yes, I think he'll be considered solid if unexciting on that front. Perhaps the end of Labour's socialist stage and the bringer of a new beginning.
I-rack and the surveillance society.
He has been the best leader this country has seen since Churchill. Most would have shyed away after 9/11 and done nothing. I respect him 100% for doing what he thought was right. And for the record, I totally agreed with what he did, and still do.
It is a shame that people's opposition to Iraq will blight other worthwhile things he has done to this country.
It is a shame that people's opposition to Iraq will blight other worthwhile things he has done to this country.
I'm not a Blair fan but there ARE positives behind his career. He's redirected the Labour party completely, and he must have done something right after all to have stayed in office for ten years. There's been the Human Rights Act, Freedom of Information Act, attempts at Lords reform, minimum wage... the list goes on.
I think it's all too easy to criticise him particularly with all the negatives recently, but he's had to face things which haven't happened to this extent before - 9/11 and the increasing terrorist threat. ID cards and the like are all criticised, but can anyone say that any other party - even if they oppose them all now - would have acted any differently? Chances are whatever they'd done we'd find some way of criticising it anyway. He hasn't had it easy and maybe, just maybe, he's done his best to sort things out.
Saying that though, recent events are going to dampen any legacy - cash for honours, Iraq war, increasing rebellions... there may be some legacy but for the most part I think he's going to be remembered by critics for all of this.
I think it's all too easy to criticise him particularly with all the negatives recently, but he's had to face things which haven't happened to this extent before - 9/11 and the increasing terrorist threat. ID cards and the like are all criticised, but can anyone say that any other party - even if they oppose them all now - would have acted any differently? Chances are whatever they'd done we'd find some way of criticising it anyway. He hasn't had it easy and maybe, just maybe, he's done his best to sort things out.
Saying that though, recent events are going to dampen any legacy - cash for honours, Iraq war, increasing rebellions... there may be some legacy but for the most part I think he's going to be remembered by critics for all of this.
Good post Nikki
He has done good things, and he has done bad things. I'd say the two were pretty much 50:50. The main problem with this government though is not Blair, but the useless pc goons that seem to infest it. Labour have the right idea on most things but seem to **** things up a lot.
Taking Labour from the electoral wastelands to government, and back again I fear.
Although I don't really like the man, he has acheived a lot. Whether or not you see what he has done as good or bad (Iraq being the major blunder in my opinion), he has totally changed the future political landscape (Devolution being the big thing here I think).
Often overlooked is Northern Ireland - which is what I think (if it finally works now) will be his really enduring legacy.
Although I don't really like the man, he has acheived a lot. Whether or not you see what he has done as good or bad (Iraq being the major blunder in my opinion), he has totally changed the future political landscape (Devolution being the big thing here I think).
Often overlooked is Northern Ireland - which is what I think (if it finally works now) will be his really enduring legacy.
Ahh devolution and Northern Ireland, how could I forget those! If NI devolution does work then that'll be a big milestone in Irish history.
To be honest, I think the media is just too keen to focus on only the bad points. Every politician has their highs and their lows, and I think it'd be pretty hard not to leave some kind of legacy after ten years.
To be honest, I think the media is just too keen to focus on only the bad points. Every politician has their highs and their lows, and I think it'd be pretty hard not to leave some kind of legacy after ten years.
Schmokie Dragon
the guy is a self-serving tosser. I have despised almost every decision his government has made, and his insufferable attitude and self-satisfied smile is reason alone to hate him.
So his, legacy? Not good.
So his, legacy? Not good.
I'd like to see you do better, if you really hate him and every action his government has made, why dont you move?
Because I am 18, and about to go to university. I am not going to sacrafice my education and future simply because I think the PM is a prat.
Also, he is about to leave office. Why move when he is going instead? Not that I think Brown is any better mind. Worse, in fact.
Also, he is about to leave office. Why move when he is going instead? Not that I think Brown is any better mind. Worse, in fact.
My life has been affected by him, and endless amounts of other students' in that he instigated the top-up-fees and introduced fees in the first place! For that reason alone he is at the top of my ****list.
gas_panic!
He has done good things, and he has done bad things. I'd say the two were pretty much 50:50. The main problem with this government though is not Blair, but the useless pc goons that seem to infest it. Labour have the right idea on most things but seem to **** things up a lot.
now that deserves rep,
tbh id remember him as bushs shadow and overall brown nosing monkey, but ive enver liked him much anyway though in fairess to him there were times when he tried
I think history will prove him to be one of the best leaders this country has ever had.
He is consistently criticised for the Iraq war, however would you prefer it if Saddam was still there? The deaths, both civilian and armed, tragic as they are, may 10 years down the line prove to create a healthy democratic nation in an otherwise desolate land.
The fact is that Britain has never been as wealthy, diverse (culturally and spiritually) before. Nor indeed have the less well off been more able to enter higher education. The health service isn't fantastic but you get what you pay for. There a very few countries with our level of taxation that can have such a large and equipped health care system. Im not sure that had the Tories been re-elected that the NHS would have survived.
He is consistently criticised for the Iraq war, however would you prefer it if Saddam was still there? The deaths, both civilian and armed, tragic as they are, may 10 years down the line prove to create a healthy democratic nation in an otherwise desolate land.
The fact is that Britain has never been as wealthy, diverse (culturally and spiritually) before. Nor indeed have the less well off been more able to enter higher education. The health service isn't fantastic but you get what you pay for. There a very few countries with our level of taxation that can have such a large and equipped health care system. Im not sure that had the Tories been re-elected that the NHS would have survived.
Square
I'd like to see you do better, if you really hate him and every action his government has made, why dont you move?
That has to be one of the worst arguments I've heard in a long time.
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