Blair is to stand down on June 27th. The longest farewell in UK politics. The presidential pretender announced his decision amidst his faithful supporters in his home constituency.The UK media have finally been able to take their carefully crafted pieces on Blair down off the shelf and use them (after blowing off the dust). The Guardian has a big section (and I don't know if it is just coincidence but they've a new look website too - the UK is changing already?), the BBC too but I particularly like Nick Robinson's post on his blog and the multitude of comments.
I know its difficult for Americans to comprehend (with W and cronies in power) but Tony Blair is deeply unpopular in the UK. He is not our president so we voted in the New Labour party back into government not "Tony Blair" - he just happens to be the leader of the party. Yes, he has a brain and yes, he knows big words and how to use them but his arrogance, self importance and spin spin spin have left most in the UK glad to see him gone.
Oh and there's IRAQ.
It takes a real brass neck to go to war without the support of your country behind you.
I am going to read and ponder further before ranting fully on the man who says he will leave soon ..................
8 comments:
It's not only the Americans. The French seem to think he's wonderful too because he sent Sarkozy a congratulatory message in French.
If you look at the comments in Blue's blog (sorry they're in French):
http://eurostarblues.blogspot.com/
they all love him. When I said that his message was full of false sincerity I got shouted down :-( They all want Tony for president. I wish he would bugger off the France then!
PS the good news is that Prescott is standing down too.
That was supposed to be bugger off TO France!
Oh yes, I rather noticed that Blair wasn't too popular in Scotland. Oh my. Yes, I noticed. Of course, maybe it also was the fact that I was a fellow sufferer: an American who hadn't voted for W. There was a certain comraderie in the complaining.
Do remember that Americans liked Thatcher, too. I had NO clue that she wasn't well-liked at home until I moved to Scotland. Geez. What a wake up call I got on that!
"What a wake up call I got on that!"
LOL - paperback writer - I bet you did! I used to get interogated by the French about Thatcher as I buggered off to France in the 80s to escape Thatcher's Britain.
I know that Blair has made some unpopular decisions, but as an American I can't help but look at him and think, "well, at least he's not as bad as Bush."
As someone from Northern Ireland, I will always have a fondness for Tony Blair for his earnest and persistent attempts to work with (some really difficult) people in Northern Ireland politics, to help broker peace. Many others would have thrown the towel in, and he certainly did a much better job than his tory predecessors in that regard. I feel so sad that so many people will look back on his premiership so negatively because of Iraq. I agree though, neither he, nor Bush should have gone there in the first place.
Thanks everyone for your comments! I'm working on a long post on my opinions on Blair but I need it to simmer and cook through until I post it. I don't want to jump on the band wagon of crucifying him but at the same time I am not fond of the man in the slightest.
hopefully I can come up with something somewhat balanced. We'll see....
Thanks, Mo.
And thanks, Kirsty, for all your incites into UK politics. I, too, am trying not to make a judgment call on Blair, as I'm smart enough to know that I don't know enough to have an opinion.
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