Response to British Politics

Because the starred reading assignment for this week was Wright's "British Politics," I decided to ask a question that branches off from the book.

“Was Tony Blair’s premiership good for the United Kingdom? Why?” (Compare to Margaret Thatcher)

Tony Blair became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in May of 1997. Not only is Blair the Labour Party's longest serving prime minister, he is also the only politician to have led the Labour Party to three consecutive general election victories. His widespread popularity for such an extended period of time, clearly points to a positive premiership. Ignoring the Iraq war fiasco in which he managed to tarnish Great Britain’s image, Blair’s premiership was good for the United Kingdom.

Thatcher had been more of an isolationist when it can to dealing with the realm of international affairs; she leaned towards an transatlantic relationship with America and was Euroskeptic. Tony Blair, on the other hand, brought Great Britain back to the for-front of the international community, specifically in his role in the War on Terror in 2001 and the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. However, in taking a tough stance against terrorism just as the President George W. Bush did, Blair came out looking like a lackey, dubbed “Bush’s poodle.”

Blair furthered this dependent image when he committed British troops to the war in Iraq. Although Blair believed he would be able to serve as a mediating factor to calm down America’s war-mongering attitudes, he was unable to do so. Instead of appearing as the international problem solver, instead Blair ended up making Britain look like a spin-less minion of the United States.

Despite what many see as his failings in the international realm, Tony Blair was able to solve numerous domestic problems. First of all, Blair reestablished and reinvented the socialist Labour party into a modern third-way Labour. The term "New Labour" was used to distinguish his pro-market policies from the more socialist, collectivist policies which the Labour party had previously supported. In creating the “Third Way,” he was able to blur the party line from British political culture. When Thatcher was in power, the “Iron Lady” stuck fast to her ideologies, even when a majority of the country was against her. Although Thatcher was more efficient in accomplishing her goals, Blair was able to move Britain away from being driven by ideologies and to better unite the country because he worked with a consensus of politicians agreeing with him at all times.

In domestic government policy, Tony Blair has been key to producing social reforms and reforming the economy. Blair introduced constitutional reform such as devolution in Wales and Scotland, a minimum wage, and tuition fees for higher education. Blair has also significantly increased public spending on the National Health System and on education and introduced market-based reforms in these two areas. The British economy has performed well under his leadership, and Blair has respected Conservative commitments not to raise income tax.

Thatcher had largely ignored the pleas for separation by dissident states. Tony Blair, on the other hand, has given much attention to compromising with these states. His contribution towards negotiating the Good Friday Agreement and assisting the Northern Ireland Peace Process after thirty years of conflict is widely recognized and favorably looked upon.

If Tony Blair’s policies on the international level are ignored, Blair’s premiership was essentially good for the domestic policies of the United Kingdom.