Tony Blair is Leaving
After months, or even years, of hearing about the departure of Tony Blair as Prime Minister of the UK, the event is finally going to take place. Mr. Blair has now named his date, and by the end of the month we will have a new Prime Minister. this manoeuvre may be difficult for outsiders to understand. But it has to be noted that in this country, the selection of the new prime minister will be done by the Labour members, elected to the Houses of Parliament. The role of the masses is to sit back and enjoy the process, whether they approve or not.
Why is he leaving? It is simply to fulfil the agreeement he made with Gordon Brown years ago the share the leadership role, bizarre as it may sound. Rumour has it, at the launching of the new style Labour Party, they made that pledge. Of course, some others will offer a very different explanation. This is the view that he has run out of ideas, and has become so unpopular in the country, and in his party; the time has come for him to leave.
As a leader, he was never my favourite politician. I did vote Labour when they had their first 'new Labour victory'. Then the new movement seemed on the verge of going somewhere, but after that initial spark, it was all downhill. Slowly, I noticed the way how he governed, soon became an extension of his personality. His ideas and policies began to be reflected everywhere, and nobody else around him seem to matter. His grandiose proposals which led to the appearance of the Dome was his first real failure. Yet he simply doninated the Party. There were numerous incantantations of how well he was doing, in education, in the health service, etc. But all you remembered was the forcefulness of his personality. He was everywhere, and anywhere; national and international. By the time the Iraq War had arrived, bringing his new relationship with the US President, it was obvious that the party was in trouble. The way he singlehandely pushed the Iraq issue onto the country, I will remember him for.
Education! Education! Education!, was to be his mantra. There was a belief that education would be one of his major high points, but it did not turn out that way. His pretentions to education I found very hard to stomach. As a school teacher, I view his new academy schools, as robbing Peter to pay Paul. Its approach, and structure, only served to marginalise the system of education even more, and create unnecesssary competition into a system which is already too competitive. In the end very few will reap any new special harvest, or rewards. Another newly branded set of schools will just simply add to the confusion.
Gordon Brown is standing in the wings, and unless a miracle happens, he will be the next Prime Minister. He will have the difficult task of filling the void. As a person, he is not known for his communicative skills. Generally he is regarded as competent, but very aloof. He will never be able to convince people of his sincerity. His only hope may be in calling a snap general election to legitimise his role as leader of the country. Then again, there is every chance that he may lose. Still, it will be genuine interesting to see what he makes of the job.
Even though Mr. Blair will no longer the PM, don't expect him to disappear. I am certain that he will be playing the role of the elder statesman, in the months and years to come. Expect the impromptu speaking engagement, even the organised lecture tour. There will a lot of time for consultancies and conferences, especially in th USA where since the Iraq War he has become quite well known. In spite of his many agendas, it is the war he will be remembered for. For most, it will rank as one of his fatal career mistakes, a mistake which few will forgive him for. As is evident, it is the Iraq War which is responsible for his hasty departure from the UK.