With Iraq As His Legacy, Blair To Step Down

[Hissyspit]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/02/with-iraq-as-his-legacy-blair-to-step-down

With Iraq as his legacy, Blair to step down.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair “began the final countdown to his departure today by promising a resignation announcement next week and anointing Gordon Brown as his successor,” The Guardian reports. … Meanwhile, a new poll by The Independent found that 69% of the British public ‘believe he will be remembered most for the Iraq war. Remarkably, his next highest ‘legacy rating’ — just 9% — is for his relationship with the American President, George Bush.’” 12:14 am

[gipper66]

1. bedmates till the end

while having some remarkable qualities blair squandered them on pandering to bush and his ilk. History will not be kind.

[Hissyspit]

2. .

[LeftishBrit]

3. He'll also be remembered for bad domestic policies...

Continuing Tory privatization policies, and excessive managerialism and imposition of 'targets' (imagine NCLB applied to every area of life, not just education!)

On the positive side, his involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process; the Civil Partnerships law; and not actually being Maggie Thatcher, though he came pretty close.

The bad definitely outweighs the good.

[dave_p]

5. Not quite

The Tory policies suck, but if it hadn't been for Iraq Blair would be remembered well - there's Scottish & Welsh devolution and House of Lords reform too, and his social policies did reduce some of the disparities in wellbeing and opportunity.

With one decision he undid all that. He'd probably rate as one of the best prime ministers of all time. Instead he'll be remembered as one of the worst.

Good riddance.

[LeftishBrit]

6. He improved social inequalities from Thatcher's time...

but they are still MUCH worse than pre-Thatcher. He is to the right of some of Thatcher's Tory predecessors.

The NHS is getting worse and worse; now (at least in my area) there are a lot of check-ups at the like that your GP would have arranged for you routinely a few years ago, and now you have to have them privately or not at all. (I know we're still a lot better off in this respect than the USA).

Blair completely lost me early in his first term when he removed disability benefits from disabled people in work - not taking into account at all that disability often adds greatly to people's expenses of daily living, and that 'in work' doesn't always equal 'rich'.

I agree about devolution and House of Lords reform; but I think any Labour government would have had to do the same. And the corruption in House of Lords appointments has left a bad taste.

I think he'd have been regarded as a bad PM even without Iraq; but with Iraq, he really is one of the worst.

[symbolman]

4. I'm sure he'll enjoy that nice warm

comfy Poodle Bed at the Carlyle Group's headquarters.. any bets as to how SOON they Absorb him there?

Should set up a Pool on that one, generate some cash for a lucky winner :)

An Asshole, he's the Brit equivalent of "What Me WORRY?" of Mad Magazine.