Finally.. don't let the door hit you on the arse on the way out..

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Blair announces his resignation.

A great speech going around on the news right now. All I see coming out of his mouth is "Bull, bull bull bull.. blah blah blah.. crap crap crap.. and more bull****.. thank you ladies and gentleman". Now shove off and let's get someone in charge who is not a warmongering US lover, someone who puts this country first and isn't soft as pissed on ****e.

 

I'm going to laugh when the next guy...or gal...who replaces him ends up being worse.

I think it's high time that the UK gets the blunt end of the stick of the "your country sucks" jokes.

And even if the next in line isn't a "US lover", they surely wouldn't be stupid enough to end a good alliance. While you brits don't want to admit it, our countries benefit each other very nicely.

Just my

 

This could be fascinating, first Germany goes conservative, then France, next up... the U.K. With the right leader in charge he/she could hopefully undo all the damage socialism has done within three years.

 

Are most Brits really happy when Blair is off the stage? I always thought he did quite a good job, and besides that, he's also seems a decent enough bloke, would you rather have a Thatcher-ish type of leader, someone with an obvious poker up his/her bum?

 

TGS

You could never describe New Labout as "Socialist". In a lot of instances they're had more right-wing policies than the Tories have. (Student tuition fees for example.) About the most Socialist act I think he has done is to keep the NHS, which was in danger of being turned private 10 years ago. I don't think the Tories will mess with this if they did get in - a sure vote loser.

I might actually vote Labour if Reid was to become PM, but Brown has screwed over pensions and made a right mess of the "Tax breaks" (Current figures show about a third of the cost to taxpayers has gone to fraudulent claims.)

Yes, we'll be glad to see the back of him, I just wish there was a chance of someone better...
I really doubt we'll see another Thatcher, although most of my older colleagues admit in her early days she was a fairly good PM for her time. (It was the later years she lost it)

Oh and to commemorat the event, the Bank of England have put interest rates up by half a percent.

 

I dunno. Being a murderer and a proven liar? Never good things for a PM if you ask me. Also being a hypocrite, opposes the death penalty yet when famously asked by the Sky reporter about Husseins death penalty got upset and told the reporter "Enough". Twat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqsWprmOYas

Tony Blair's legacy will be that he ended up staying in power for about 4 years too many.

The Party did a lot of good work in the first 6 years of his reign, vast improvements to the NHS, vast improvements to the economy, lots of work in Ireland, unemployment down.

Sadly his record, and that of the government, will forever be tarnished by the illegal war.

 

Great post, Kitrax.

Very fascinating indeed. Maybe they're all finally waking up about the true nature of socialism. Unfortunately the U.S. is now heading down the same path toward socialism.

 

Nothing wrong with Blair, he's been a great PM. Much rather him then Brown or Cameron , you cant really tell me you prefer one of those to Blair can you Barmy?

 

I know you're young Duffin, but just wait till you're a bit older and looking for a place. People simply can't afford a mortgage these days. Young people have to financially cripple themselves (sometimes for life) just to get a mortgage. Housing prices go through the roof whilst he wastes money on illegal wars and bombs to kill innocent people. Err.. yeah, I'll be glad to see the back of him!

Inflation is creeping up, the tax burden is at a record high, record levels of public expenditure and the problems this causes with inflation and the communities that recieve the funding. The fact unemployment is only down because of the vast number of public sector workers hired under Labour. Uni-fees. PFI schools and hospitals. Sleeze, spin and scandal, without those responsible being made to to be accountable for their actions.

 

I understand what your saying and I hate the labour cabinet as much as anyone. But Blair seems genuine, he's made mistakes over Iraq but I can honestly say I think he thought was doing the right thing. And the economy has grown every year under him (and Brown) for about a decade, not many EU countries can boast that. House prices would be so high under any government, and I seriously doubt the Tories would have not gone to war with America.

I really think we will miss him when hes gone. Despite the recent mistakes he has brought stability and growth, do you think Cameron or Brown could do a better job?

EDIT: Typos.

 

"This could be fascinating, first Germany goes conservative, then France, next up... the U.K. With the right leader in charge he/she could hopefully undo all the damage socialism has done within three years. "

TGS, this has to be either the most ironic, or the most erroneous post I've seen in a long time. Pray tell, what is this "damage" about? Speaking in macroeconomic terms, Blair's "socialism" has been hardly devastating for the UK, for a start. He took over approximately 10 years ago with the country's GDP per capita (PPP) in the low 20,000s, and now it's around $33,000 - in a period in which the EU in general experienced rather poor economic growth. Unemployment has fallen from around 8 to around 5.5%. You know, I know a lot of countries that would welcome such devastation.

As for Blair's style being a socialist one, it certainly doesn't seem like one from what I know. Socialism that leads to lower unemployment, increased income inequality, or more independence for the central bank (including in setting interest rates) - well, it's not exactly your classical left-wing governance, I can tell you that much. Aside from that, I stopped considering him your typical "labour" minister the moment I heard he admired Margaret Thatcher. He's more neo-liberal than labour, and I don't mean liberal as in "left-wing" sense of the word.

It's a pity, as I think without his fame as "Bush's poodle" and his involvement in several conflicts he might have been remembered as one of the more successful - and canny - prime ministers of Britain in quite a while.

 

That socialism part just shows that some Americans are really ignorant of European politics, or have quite a twisted view of socialism.

Other than that it would seem that conservative winds are blowing in Europe. TGS you should really look up the party affiliation of Chiraq and you'll notice that they both represent the same right-center party so no big changes there, but otherwise Germany, Sweden and Finland have atleast moved to more conservative regimes during the last few years. Can't say I'm too disappointed with that though.

 

So what shall we call it then? The tax happy, initiative killing welfare state? The cradle to grave nanny state? Granted it's not pure socialism but you can't deny that there are many socialistic principles deeply embedded in the various European governments. So maybe we ignorant Americans prefer to simplify the definition and simply call it socialism. Socialism in any form (the welfare state) has long been anathema to most Americans. It is like a drug; once hooked it is almost impossible to be rid of. Corrupt politicians know this and push this drug on the people knowing full well that once hooked the people will not allow the drug (program) to be terminated. Hence the state continues to grow and the people are burdened by an ever increasing tax structure all the while thinking that the government is doing something beneficial for them. The politicians then get re-elected on the platform that they will protect the people's drug of choice (insert entitlement program here). If the shoe fits...

This is one ignorant American's view. Granted if I were a European I would fully understand European governments and politics as well as American government and politics and be able to expound on them in detail and with great accuracy. Alas, I don't have that advantage so I plod along using my my barbaric, pedestrian American understanding.

 

impressive in one post you show both your ignorance about socialism and european politics and you manage to throw in an insult to all europeans by comparing us to drug addicts.

 

Hell, many Americans are ignorant of their own politics. Do you really expect that Europe would fare any better with them? (And I'm not referring to you specifically, Dinsdale).

Think - corporate welfare - American politics is eaten-up, corrupt and rampant with it.

 

Ok, maybe that was a little harsh. It certainly wasn't my intent to insult all Europeans. I was railing against the welfare state. The things I'm mentioning are happening here, too so we're no different. I apologize to anyone who was offended by my remarks.

 

Do not to worry, Dinsdale. But I suppose most Europeans would prefer for our fine American brethren to keep to their tradition of pointedly ignoring Europe.

Nothing good will come of it.

 

Meh, even America has some pretty big policies that I would describe as socialist. Twisted socialism, maybe, but socialism none the less.

As for Blair, although some of his policies may be slightly left of centre, many of his policies have a fairly right lean to them. From my understanding he has added a fair amount of market-based reforms to both the health and education sector, also freeing up the central bank was a wonderful (and well overdue) move and is far from socialist. Add to it his foriegn policies and I would never describe him as socialist. If you look at a fairly large group of his critics, they tend to complain about how he departed from Labour's centre-left standing. If you are wanting to label him, I would say radical middle would probably be best.

From standing on the opposite side of the world, he seems to ahve been a great PM. He was the first person brave enough (and smart enough) to make some of the much needed changes to the system. It's just ashame that he decided to side so closely with Bush. In the end though, I do think he'll be remembered for establishing the various parliaments throughout the UK and other such actions. And no one can argue that he was the most successful Labour PM in a long time (if not ever).

I don't think you guys know how good you've had it. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Just wait 'til you're on the other side, then you'll see how green it really is

[Edit] Oh, and Dinsdale, from my understanding Blair didn't once raise income taxes. So you're talk of the people been "burdened by an ever increasing tax structure" isn't too solid.

 

Me, I just say polotics everywhere is crap. Keep anyone in power for more than a few years and they'll turn sour. The longest running US President, F. D. R., ended up having congress change the rules so no later pres. could get elected more than twice. A smart move, if you ask me. Blair seems to have been good for the country, and I'll even support the Brits joining the US in the war (being an American, of course), but he does seem to have fallen on hard times.

I hear a lot of people throwing around that phrase, but was it actually illegal in the UK? Here in the US, nothing about the war in Iraq was actually illegal (unless you think people knowingly lied to Congress about stuff, which is a maybe), yet many people still blame Bush for driving the US into an 'illegal' war in Iraq and Afghanastan.

 

I think people use the term illegal in that context to refer to the fact that it wasn't UN sanctioned.