Blair vs Thatcher - Which was the greater Prime Minister and why ?

Question

With Tony Blair now well into a Farewell Tour with more dates than Cher could dream of, will history's opinion of him end up matching his own?

Many have noted how Blair has modelled himself on Thatcher [or at the very least the parallels between the two] but which will history judge the greater Prime Minister and why?

Answer 1

It is only Blair who says he admired Thatcher and he is not fit to polish her shoes. Margaret Thatcher took the country from being the sick man of Europe into a vibrant economy when many foreign investors set up their business here because of the business friendly attitude and low interest rates.
Margaret Thatcher took the unions by the throat and is much maligned for causing mass unemployment. I would say that the unions shot themselves in the foot by their greed and by their determination to hold the country to ransom. I do remember the 'Winter of Discontent', I remember 27% inflation and I also remember that the miners eventually rejected Arthur Scargill. He ended up very well off and they, mostly, ended up losing their jobs. What a great union leader.
Having put up with the winter of discontent, we were then faced with the uproar that Maggie created. These were not good times but at least we had a leader with guts.
To all those who hate her or her legacy, I would say I remember those times and, whatever mistakes she made
she always fought for this country and,its interests and, dare I say it, she had a successful outcome in the Falklands. Can
Tony Blair (ex CND) say that about Iraq?

History is being rewritten far too much.

Answer 2

Blair Thatcher

Answer 3

Thatcher a better leader, but with policies that were more detrimental to the UK. She damaged the hospital system to the extent it's still second-rate today, and she sold off the railways causing a similar lack of long-term investment. She did get rid of old industries and stood up to the interests protecting them, but did nothing for common people. Thatcher's damage is the reason the Conservatives are a joke today. A member of her party called her 'the Enid Blyton of economics- nothing must be allowed to get in the way of her simple stories'. This is true and although she did some good, her crude approach caused a lot of unnecessary damage. She was mates with criminals like Pinochet and allowed those who caused the Piper-Alpha oil rig disaster to walk.

Blair introduced a good industrial relations system, has presided over a strong economy, and has tried hard on important foreign policy issues (Iraq aside), but has probably achieved little- just a few minor improvements to the damage Thatcher did, for which the Tories are still paying.

To compare the Falklands and Iraq as though they are a relative test of the PM's skills is ludicrous and stupid- the Brits came close to disaster in the South Atlantic and they were really only there, from Thatcher's point of view, to save her before a key election she'd otherwise have lost badly.

Answer 4

No competition there really. Blair - rubbish, a cheating, lying, self seeking individual who should be hung.
Thatcher - better

The only reason Labour should stay in power a few years more is so things can get really really bad, then there is a chance that someone else can take up the baton and actually sort this country out.
If the politicians of all other parties have any sense they will not try to win any elections for a while and let Labour take us all to hell. Hopefully the labour party will die a painful and ugly death and there will be some hope for those of us who actually care about our country and our lives.

Answer 5

Tony Blair replaced into no longer an excellent best Minister, and he won't be remembered for being an excellent best Minister. Tony Blair replaced into an actor who took his lead from bill Clinton. He took the management of the labour social gathering after it were reformed by probably super adult males. His political association replaced into of much less value that his upward push to skill. Tony Blair sought greatness in itself, yet no longer the greatness of his place as best Minister.

Answer 6

It deciding the best of the worst! But i think thatcher wins quite clearly! Although she made a mess she was decisive. But blair did fufil the big 3- unemployment education (although thats arguable now)

hmm def thatcher

Answer 7

The answer will be written in history. As a life long socialist, all I can say is that at least Thatcher admitted to being a conservative.

Answer 8

Hmm, good question.
I have an inherent, perhaps misjudged, opinion of all PM's down the history.
I never did get on with Thatcher, as she told lots of fibs about taxation and sinking ships etc.
Tony seems OK to a large extent.
I thought John Major to be a fairly straighforward chap, if a bit dry.
I suppose that top-ranking politicians offer themselves up for ridicule. Gods, Reagan & Bush for example.
Easy targets.
Out of future legacies, I suppose that Thatcher would stand out, not as a great, but controversial leader.
Blair will also shine in the minds of political historians, as a decent enough bloke, misled easily by his collegues.

Bob.

Answer 9

thatcher buy a long way.
she ran the country by its own indentity and not by others. she would not of let all the refugees in either. britain would still be british if she was in charge still. look at the falklands war, when america told us we should give the argies the islands and stop fighting she told america where to go.
tony blair is coward who hides behind other people. has for modalling him self on maggie he his not in her league, perhaps another female PM is what this country needs.someone with a spine as most of the men dont seem to have one.

Answer 10

Margaret Thatcher is the greater, she had more balls than Tony for a start!! At least she said what it was like unlike Tony who agreed with what people wanted to hear and then did his own thing!!