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June 27, 2007
Not the End
As Blair finally leaves Downing St there is a temptation to view this as the end of the worst excesses of Blairism and the New Labour project. But in the words of a truly great Prime Minister
Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
For starters, the transfer of power from Blair to Brown is a travesty of democracy, greater than that when Major succeeded Thatcher. At least in 1990 the Conservatives actually held a leadership contest, whereas the Parliamentary Labour Party took, in a craven act of aquiesence, the coward's way out and simply annointed Brown. In 2005 Blair told his constituents and the electorate that he would stand for a full term, yet a mere two years later he has betrayed both.
Will Brown call a general election in order to legitamise his premiership? Only if polls make a victory look likely. Until then, the Labour Party will remain tarnished and untrustworthy in the eyes of many. And Iraq will remain a devisive issue:
The Independant - Gordon Brown Answers Your QuestionsIn an answer of one word, and with the benefit of hindsight, was it wrong to invade Iraq?
SIMON O'CONNOR, Liverpool
No.
You were the one person who could have stopped Blair signing up to the invasion of Iraq, either by threatening to quit or publicly opposing it. How do you feel about putting your career ahead of the lives of thousands of Iraqis and hundreds of British soldiers?
SARAH HILLS, Guildford
I don't doubt that you hold your views about the war sincerely. We know it has been a divisive issue for our party and our country, but I hope you'll accept that I hold my views sincerely too. There's no doubt that mistakes were made in our planning for what happened after the removal of Saddam, and I think it's important to learn the lessons and to go forward knowing that proper procedures are going to be in place that will command the confidence not just of Parliament but the confidence of the public. We will learn all the lessons that need to be learnt.
Do you ever wake in the night and think of all those dead Iraqi children?
ANN PHILLIPS, by email
Any such loss of life is a tragedy. As Prime Minister, I will work tirelessly for peace and security for all the children in Iraq, and for the safe return of our armed forces once their job is done.
After the nightmare of Iraq, will you promise not to join any American invasion of Iran?
CALLUM MACINTYRE, Aberdeen
There is no plan to attack Iran. We have always wanted to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear programme through diplomacy and negotiation. This means we must work through the UN and the EU as we have done each time Iran has failed to comply with the will of the international community. In turn Iran must take its responsibilities seriously and comply fully with the Security Council's resolutions.
So obviously Gordon shared Tony's approach to Iraq. Strike One!
Then a quick glance at devolution and the state of the Union.
Do you think it's right that you can vote in Parliament on issues affecting English people but English MPs can't vote on issues affecting your own Scottish constituents?BRIAN MACKENZIE, by email
I think a system where MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were excluded from voting in the Commons would inevitably lead to the break-up of the Union so I will never support it.
How do you feel about the growing divisions between England and Scotland, such as in health treatments, higher education and long-term care for the elderly? Doesn't it make all this Britishness stuff rather absurd?
BEN JAY, Bath
Of course devolution means that different choices can be made on issues that are reserved to the Scottish Parliament. But I believe the values that unite us as British people are stronger than any policy differences between the regions and nations of the country.
So no change, just a continued muddle that will please no one south of the border and may very well lead to the eventual breakup of the Union. Strike Two!
Continuing, we find this little gem.
What's a bigger danger - global warming or jihadi terrorism?TOM CHURCH, by email
Both are massive dangers, and the truth is - while every other country in the world tends to make trade-offs and choose priorities - Britain is the only country simultaneously taking the lead in fighting all the great dangers the world faces: global warming, international terrorism, nuclear proliferation and world poverty. I am proud of that, and that will continue under my government.
So Brown's solution to global warming is to introduce new nuclear power stations; his approach to unclear proliferation is to replace Trident with a new weapons system. And his answer to international terrorism is to not rule out further unlawful invasions of sovereign states and not to express regret or apologise for the Iraq fiasco.
Strike Three!
Brown is going to be a dismal failure as Prime Minister. While he was at the Treasury he had so much autonomy that most domestic policy was effectively under his control anyway. So the failings of the NHS, education, pensions, etc can all be laid at his door. We now know that he wholeheartedly supported Blair's foreign policy as well. Don't believe him when he claims that his will be a government of substance rather than spin.
The Labour Party had a golden opportunity to move forward from Blair, an opportunity that it squandered. Now both the Party and the Country must prepare to reap a bitter harvest.
Posted by Clive on June 27, 2007 12:31 PM in the category Politics