Who honestly thinks Tony Blair has been a successful PM?

Question

Give reasons. (this should be a good argument)

Some people are looking through rose tinted glasses, I believe:
1.Lower Unemployment - its the highest its been for 10 years, its on its way back up.
2. Low Interest rates. He did the right thing by letting the Bank of England decide this, so how can he take the claim for it?
3. Fairer employment rights for workers, yet adding more paper work and regulations and red tape for business owners.
4.Equality Laws - more rights for people who commit crimes.
5.More police - Crime spiralling out of control, yet despite the numbers many police are often powerless.
6. More Nurses and consultants and image consultants. NHS millions in debt, ward closures and redundancies. Better than the tories, I doubt it. This Government has wasted Billions on the NHS. Pure lack of management and wastage.
7. More University Graduates, who now have to pay for the education which they did not under the Tories and now leave thousands in debt.
8.More help for the unemployed who abuse it too!!!

Answer 1

Hahahaha!!!

Answer 2

I think Tony Blair will always be remembered for disastrously taking the UK into a war with Iraq, that is definitely a big blot on his legacy. He has though campaigned for good in areas to do with the environment, 3rd world debt and the peace process in Northern Ireland. I guess it's debatable how successful he has been in the first two but in the latter he has revived the process which was dying under the Conservatives. The longer a PM stays in office, the more unpopular he becomes, that's part of politics. The fact that he's stayed in office since the election shows he's been doing something right.

Answer 3

I don't think he has been a good PM even if you take Iraq out of the equation he is still not good PM.

Too much of this do as I say attitude and finger waging. That's what you get when you appoint a government that in the main did not have a portfolio.

To have been a good PM he needed the right type of support from his ministers and not sheep that followed the herd.


No it's too little too late Mr Blair to make amends for making the UK a mockery of what once was a great nation. And to appease the deaths of what will run into millions of lives.

Answer 4

Agree with 'leeleec78'

"I do he's done many great things domestically such as

Fairer society
Lower unemployment
Low Interest rates (returning this decision to BoE)
Fairer employment rights for workers
Equality Laws
More police
More Nurses
Public Services although not the best certainly better than they were after the Tories
Winter Fuel Payments for the elderly
More university graduates
More help for the unemployed

All of these were opposed by the tories"

He has been fairly elected, twice.
It is just sour grapes for the people willing to let him down on the question of Iraq.
The UK will regret this in years to come when it has been taken over by I***m.

Answer 5

I do he's done many great things domestically such as

Fairer society
Lower unemployment
Low Interest rates (returning this decision to BoE)
Fairer employment rights for workers
Equality Laws
More police
More Nurses
Public Services although not the best certainly better than they were after the tories
Winter Fuel Payments for the elderly
More university graduates
More help for the unemployed

All of these were opposed by the tories

Answer 6

Very good point Dr Dee!

TB has brought misery upon the UK. Taxes have gone through the roof and nobody, it seems, has noticed. Yet public services are, at best, no better than they were under the Tories. No-one can call mounting deaths in Iraq a good thing. The basis for going in has been shown to be nonsense, so real people have lost their lives for this man's own self-glory.

Tony Blair has not been a successful PM. History will, in time, give him a footnote if he is lucky.

Answer 7

A successful PM, or a good PM? I'd say there's a serious difference there.

He's been relatively sucessful as a politican, winning [edit - D'oh]three general elections, steamrolling opposition to controversial bills (university tuition, the war, etc.). Back bench rebellions, while damaging to his PR, have not managed to impede his negotiation of bills through parliament too much. The Whips' relatively highly level of control over labour MPs has served him well. In strict influence, and political power terms, his massive 1997 majority and slightly reduced 2001 majority have allowed him to do the job of a prime minister: legislate.

However, as to whether he's a 'good' prime minister - well, no. Labour are beginning to assume the role of the conservatives in the early 1990s, untrustworthy and slimey. His brand of 'spin' has done a lot to harm the British public's perception of party politics, and has gone a great deal of the way toward obfuscating issues that should have been public discussion. Arrogance, poor intelligence and blind faith contributed to a disastrous war.

However, public services have not deteriorated to the extent where I can say he 'failed' on domestic issues; I fundamentally disagree with many of the policies, but foundation hospitals and city academies need more time before we evaluate their efficacy.

On the whole: He was a good example of too much power and too great a parliamentary majority allowing unimpeded legislation through the commons. He did well as a prime minister in terms of power of the office, mediocre in terms of domestic policy, and badly in terms of foreign policy.

Answer 8

I think hes been fairly successful, he has shown good leadership as he is prepared to make unpopular decisions which he thinks are best for the country. Fair enough he has done some bad things, all PMs have, but at least he doesn't look back at everything with regret, that would make him a bad leader. Other people mention that terrorist incidents make him a bad leader, but its not Tony Blair's fault that Al Qaeda have a vendetta against the West, and just because he's friends with George Bush doesn't make him a bad leader - after all I'd rather be allies with the USA than enemies - you've seen what mess they made in Iraq and Vietnam! I also think Tony Blair has done some good things, he has strengthened the economy and brought in a minimum wage.

Answer 9

tony Blair has made such a mess of this country and its gonna take years to fix .i voted for him when he first got elected . but i didn't know all this stuff about spin doctors . spin is all about distorting reality and it still goes on i can never trust any government ever again . we are living in a sad time in history when our leaders can blatantly lie to us and when there own employs try to tell the truth they are found dead in the woods . and they can get away with it . we the people have no power . 80% of the population have been brainwashed by the media which the government control. they create threats then tell us to give up our freedoms so they can tackle them . where has this happened in history before ? Stalin Hitler used the same tactics . i am getting very scared whats gonna happen next .

Answer 10

He has been very good at destroying the British standing in the World, he as lo has ruined the Health Service, education, Prison service, old age pension, getting us involved in every conflict in the world, thereby getting our soldiers who signed up to defend their country to do anything but, a man who is stupid enough to think that he can convince us that being in Iraq and Afghanistan is important to the safety of this country , the Billions he as spent there he could have spent on reinforcing the customs and immigration , he has spent enough money to have made Britain a fortress, he Yesterday gave millions to both countries of our money, nice of him that, to build more Madrases for political religions , and yet will not give our troops money for equipment, the only good think Tony as done is help the ground and earth in this country , but hen again you cannot use the bullshit he espouses.

Answer 11

I don't think so, he commits us to a war, but before that, downsizes the military. We are stretched so thin it is unbelieveable. We only have a handful of operational squadrons left. (Less than 100 armed aircraft) There are around 41,00 RAF personnel today. In the Cold War we had 110,000 people! That's reduced so much! Of course, it had to reduce, but as we are currently doing ops in Afghanistan, Iraq and several smaller force locations, such as the Falklands and all over Africa and Europe, you can see how stretched we are. Our funding is pathetic!

He has also ruined the Education and Health systems, the things he promised to fix!

I never voted for him, and I won't vote for him next time either!