Blair is still a believer
David Blackburn 12:19pm
To an extent, British politics is still determined by whether or not you agree with Tony
Blair. For more than a year, the coalition and the opposition have been debating whether to continue Blair’s public service reforms; this is a testament to his failure as Prime Minister as
much as it to his success. Today, has given an interview to the Times (£), coinciding with the release of his
memoirs in paperback. He uses it to question the Labour party’s current journey back into “nostalgia”. He says:
“The attraction of a concept like Blue Labour is it allows you to say that there’s a group of voters out there we can’t reach at the moment, so what we should do is really empathise with their plight. But I think you should always offer a way forward for the future. The way the Labour Party wins, is if it’s at the cutting edge of the future, is if it’s modernising. It won’t win by a Labour equivalent of warm beer and old maids bicycling.”
This chimes with the observations he made about the demise of New Labour in the epilogue of A Journey, adding, perhaps, to the sense that he sympathises with the coalition (but probably only where it agrees with him). He reiterates that he would not have introduced a 50p tax and said that it is vital to “favour entrepreneurs and enterprise”, echoing David Cameron’s rhetoric about the necessity of a reform programme that defeats the “enemies of enterprise”.
Blair’s troubles began in Europe, or some of them did at least. The memory of vetoes and budget rebates expended in the cause of closer integration live long. But, despite that and the EU's recent ruptures, Blair is still a believer. He says:
"We won't have the weight and influence a country like Britain needs unless we're part of that European power as well. Europe has got a fantastic opportunity, but only if it's prepared to reform and change radically in the way it works."
The answer, according to Blair, is to embolden the EU Presidency by making it an elected post. Here, Blair is isolated. Brussels was reluctant to democratise the EU Presidency for fear of weakening the Commission and the Parliament; its position has not changed. In Britain, Labour’s stance on Europe is confused and the Tories are unconcerned by the prospect of a two-speed Europe. As one government aide recently put it to me: “With there being member states who aren’t signatories to the euro and Schengen and so forth, it’s multi-speed already.”
Blair is realistic to concede that his proposals have no chance of acceptance at this stage; but he hopes that a generational shift will bring Europe closer together in the future. “My children’s generation see that the rationale for Europe today…is about power,” he says. With rumours of further financial instability abounding and some member states intent on a path self-interest, ‘European power’ looks little more than a spectre at present: a point made powerfully by Philip Stephens in the latest issue of the Spectator, which is out today (subscribe here).
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cuffleyburgers
June 9th, 2011 12:38pm Report this commentBlair was a successful election winner but a failure as PM. He reformed his previously unelectable party so that it won elections, and it fell apart immediately he left the stage.
Blair is the absolute paragon of why so-called democracy and in particular, being elected, is such a hopeless way to choose political leaders, the reason being of course that skiled politicians are the last people who should be allowed to be in charge of anything.
The corollary of this is of course that the more decentralised, deregulated and generally free a country is, the better it will do and the happier its people will be.
What is the most powerful demolition of anti-monarchism in GB? two words: tony blair.
This loathsome but capable individual is living proof of the fact that everything he says is total crap.
Maggie
June 9th, 2011 12:42pm Report this commentHe's still plugging away in the hope that someone will offer him the post of EU President. Its most embarrassing to have two Labour ex-PMs, and one Labour ex-Foreign Secretary, travelling the world endlessly applying for jobs for which they're not suited.
The Laughing Cavalier
June 9th, 2011 12:48pm Report this commentWhere is Professor van Helsing when we need him?
Tiberius
June 9th, 2011 1:08pm Report this commentWhen I saw that heading, David, I thought it was in consequence of Rowan William's performance today. It should of course read "Blair is still delusional".
Chris
June 9th, 2011 1:16pm Report this comment@cuffleyburgers
“Blair was a successful election winner but a failure as PM. He reformed his previously unelectable party so that it won elections, and it fell apart immediately he left the stage.”
You mean fell apart just like the Tories when Thatcher left? Did you actually read the post? If he was such a complete failure then why has he continued to set the agenda?
“Blair is the absolute paragon of why so-called democracy and in particular, being elected, is such a hopeless way to choose political leaders, the reason being of course that skilled politicians are the last people who should be allowed to be in charge of anything”
You mean a skilful politician like Cameron? Again – if Blair is so bad, why is he still so relevant?
“The corollary of this is of course that the more decentralized, deregulated and generally free a country is, the better it will do and the happier its people will be.”
Where are your examples of this? Are people really more unhappy in countries further to the left than us? Do you have any stats to back it up? and I mean concerning the kind of micro scale of decentralisation we’re talking about (without giving examples of extremes like Iran where it’s obviously terrible)?
“This loathsome but capable individual is living proof of the fact that everything he says is total crap.”
Great question-begging statement that means absolutely nothing. How very constructive.
Mirtha Tidville
June 9th, 2011 1:16pm Report this commentIs this the same Bliar that spent a lot of his time in office ignoring Europe and doing the bidding of one George W Bush.....Cojones indeed...
Publius
June 9th, 2011 1:20pm Report this comment"at the cutting edge of the future"
This means something?
Pramston
June 9th, 2011 1:24pm Report this commentBlair was and to some extent still is the pre-eminent politician of his era, it is a tragedy that will echo down the years that it turned out that that was all he was.
David Lindsay
June 9th, 2011 1:26pm Report this commentBlair won two General Elections that any Labour Leader would have won and a third at which any viable Opposition would have beaten him. In that last case, he lost Labour 100 seats that anyone else would have kept against the laughable rump of the Tories in 2005, his only ever contribution to the outcome of a General Election.
I hope that all you enthusiasts for the "free" schools policy, the Conservative Party's only one in 2010, are terribly pleased that it is endorsed by Tony Blair. But then, like Andrew Lansley's abandoned health policy and like so many other things besides, it was in fact devised by Blair and by David Miliband.
mitcheltj
June 9th, 2011 1:34pm Report this commentWell said cuffeyburger. It never fails to mystify me why the press treat the words of failed and discredited politicians so seriously.
Ruby Duck
June 9th, 2011 1:39pm Report this commentPublius : '"at the cutting edge of the future"
This means something?'
"Cutting edge", "bleeding edge" ... "pointy end"
ollie
June 9th, 2011 3:32pm Report this commentBlair was a successful election winner, obviously, but he was a Labour PM, and Labour PMs DO NOT reform - they impose.
arnoldo87
June 9th, 2011 5:38pm Report this comment@ David Lindsay
"Blair won two General Elections that any Labour Leader would have won"
Hang on a cotton-pickin' there David. You are surely forgetting the magnificent Golden Financial Legacy that the Major government had created by 1997.
Surely it took some considerable political skill on the part of Blair to overcome such an overwhelming electoral disadvantage as this.
Boudicca
June 9th, 2011 6:09pm Report this commentBlair has already handed over £billions of British taxpayers money in a vain hope to try and buy the EU Council Presidency. As PM, he may have won 3 General Elections but thanks to Iraq and the wreck of our economy because he gave Brown free rein, he is now a completely discredited failure. He has as much chance of becoming EU President as I do. And I'm not standing.
The British people will never adapt to the condition of a province in an EU Superstate. There is no European Demos to vote for a European President; we are nations and we will vote along national lines for decades, and if it is ever forced upon us, probably for centuries to come.
The UK should get out now, whilst it still can.
Holly ......
June 9th, 2011 6:24pm Report this commentBlair isn't relevant!
He's a junk!
It's the media who wet themselves whenever he calls them in to do his bidding.
From winning 43% of the vote share in '97 to 36% in'05 is not a exactly a ringing endorsement of Blair.
Bozo finally finished the party off in 2010
with 29.6%.
As long as the dewey eyed,wet patch journos
bow down to this junk,Blair will continue to believe he is sent from on high,to lead the world,while Bozo fixes it.
David Lindsay
June 9th, 2011 6:30pm Report this comment"You are surely forgetting the magnificent Golden Financial Legacy that the Major government had created by 1997"
Then I am not the only person to have "forgotten" it. The poll ratings had scarcely varied since Britain had fallen out of Thatcher's ERM, and swings as large as any in 1997 had been recorded at the European Elections under Margaret Beckett. The size of the 1997 majority was thus in the bag, and with it another comfortable win in 2001. Who was Leader of the Labour Party was immaterial. Any Labour Leader would have delivered the same result.
eyesee
June 9th, 2011 7:01pm Report this commentHmm believe Blair or not? Do people actually believe anything that a confirmed self-serving liar says? Blair became PM for the money, nothing else. Though whilst there a lot of people had to lose their lives in support of his agenda (or to hide it). Oh yes, how goes the inquiry into the suicide without a cause of Dr Kelly?
Perry
June 9th, 2011 8:48pm Report this commentThe Hero of the H2B believes in Himself, and that only.
His conceit knows no bounds.
And I await His appointment of President of the EUSSR, - voted for by, how many? - 370 million?
And His wretched Chancellor may yet head up the IMF.
He worried about His legacy. Well, He may well have one.
Time for a drink.
arnoldo87
June 10th, 2011 8:23am Report this comment@ eyesee
" a confirmed self-serving liar "
Please give us details of which particular lie has been "confirmed", and how it was.
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