Tony Blair Mark Two.

[davo69]

better nhs better public transport better wages less poverty

[bullseyebarb]

My happiness and success in life do not depend upon the government.....I have always made quite sure of that.

No government will ever spend your money as wisely as you can and the programs and services they provide are always the most inefficient and costly way to go.

As for Mr. Blair and President Bush......history will be the judge. It is far too early at this point to make a proper evaluation.

[shakermaker]

Any PM to take Britain into the 21st Century would've had it tough.
The Conservatives left us in a right state & I thoroughly believe that Mr Blair was the most successful Labour PM ever.
Remember the world of Margaret Thatcher, Norman Tebbit, Peter Lilley, John Redwood and Bill Cash. Remember tax cuts for the rich, mass unemployment, soaring child poverty and deep spending cuts that left holes in school roofs and trolleys in hospital corridors. Think of the Section 28 anti-gay law and compare that with civil partnerships now.
That is how far Tony Blair's government has dragged the country in a progressive direction.
He leaves behind a country far better off than he found it - and unimaginably better than it would have been under 10 more years of Conservative rule.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by grannyclaret

you cant call the N,H, S, to me......

I'm not calling the NHS, my missus works in it and I've been using it quite a bit for one thing and another over the last couple of years. The doctors, surgeons, nurses, technicians, porters and all the other front-line staff are hard-working, dedicated individuals who do their jobs incredibly well, sometimes under difficult conditions.

I am, however, calling this government for its mismanagement and squandering of precious resources in the NHS. Blair had a great opportunity to really transform the NHS and he blew it...and no amount of banging on about events of 20 years ago by the likes of Mancie and Shakey can change that!

[steeljack]

Originally Posted by bullseyebarb

As for Mr. Blair and President Bush......history will be the judge. It is far too early at this point to make a proper evaluation.

Thats the problem, all facts and figures get hidden away under 'security laws' for 25 or 50 years , the truth only starts to come out after the buggers are dead and buried

[shakermaker]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

...and no amount of banging on about events of 20 years ago by the likes of Mancie and Shakey can change that!

Don't get me wrong, I don't intend to blow smoke up Blair's arse, but people are all too easily highlighting the mistakes alone, and not recognising how much good he has done for the country in general.

[Stanaccy]

Wynonie I am not a Blair apologist and I said to me the jury is still out.

I could "spout off" for ages about Pfis, the constant use of EDS in IT by this government which has never worked. The fact he privatised areas of the Public Services that Thatcher could only have fantasised about. I won't because there is a flip side.

He has dragged 70 percent of children out of poverty, he has also pumped a vast amount of money into the NHS whether you agree or not. He has also invested in schools and brought in elected mayors which has been a great success, and yes the tax credits system might need tweaking but at least it has help people into work who were caught in the poverty trap. He has also continued where Major started with Northern Ireland and brought it to a successful conclusion.

As I said earlier if you can name me 1 prime minister in the last 40 years who has INVESTED money in Health, Schools and cut the unemployment figure apart from him then I will say you are talking about France or Germany.

However his foreign policy stinks, Afghanistan, Iraq and his sucking up to Bush is embarassing I thought we were the 51st state in the eighties, but now we have been consumed.

[maxwell silver]

It was euphoria at chez Silver when Blair,or rather Labour finally got in power.Now we don't honestly give 2 s****.Whats happened to this country since Blairs been leading it has left me in despair,like i was when Thatcher was in control,but back then i was more rebellious & with New Labour i 'd settled into the comfort zone just hoping "things will only get better"...alas it's been the same old sh** only under a different leadership & government.Outlook for the future ....bleak,more Washington & Euro brown( ) nosing.Almost everyone i talk to wants to emmigrate....fantastic if you've got the funds to do so.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Stanaccy

he has also pumped a vast amount of money into the NHS whether you agree or not. He has also invested in schools and brought in elected mayors which has been a great success, and yes the tax credits system might need tweaking

I agree, he has spent vast amounts of money on the NHS but the trouble is, he's spent a large part of it on the wrong things - unworkable IT systems, more bureacracy etc, thus missing a wonderful opportunity to spend that very same money on improving front-line services. And I would suggest that a tax credit system that has overpaid £4 billion in two years, has been defrauded of at least £15 million and has been the subject of a damning report by the Parliamentary Omsbudman needs a little more than "tweaking"!

[grannyclaret]

Originally Posted by shakermaker

Any PM to take Britain into the 21st Century would've had it tough.
The Conservatives left us in a right state & I thoroughly believe that Mr Blair was the most successful Labour PM ever.
Remember the world of Margaret Thatcher, Norman Tebbit, Peter Lilley, John Redwood and Bill Cash. Remember tax cuts for the rich, mass unemployment, soaring child poverty and deep spending cuts that left holes in school roofs and trolleys in hospital corridors. Think of the Section 28 anti-gay law and compare that with civil partnerships now.
That is how far Tony Blair's government has dragged the country in a progressive direction.
He leaves behind a country far better off than he found it - and unimaginably better than it would have been under 10 more years of Conservative rule.

I agree with you all heartedly ,,,,,,People have short memories ........

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by grannyclaret

I agree with you all heartedly ,,,,,,People have short memories ........

Well, if people do have short memories, they certainly get plenty of reminders on here. Everytime someone dares to criticise Blair, we get the same old stuff about the Thatcher era trotted out with wearying regularity. And why? Because it's easier to talk about what happened 20 years ago, rather than defend the indefensible!

[grannyclaret]

No,,,that horible woman embedded bitterness in our hearts,,,,,

[grannyclaret]

By the way,,i think her daughter Carole is a smashing person,,,,,

[shakermaker]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Everytime someone dares to criticise Blair, we get the same old stuff about the Thatcher era trotted out with wearying regularity.

& every time someone praises Blair for any of his successes we get the same old about the NHS & how the front line could have been better funded.
Not having a pop, but I think we must recognise that the NHS and the country as a whole is a lot better than it was pre-Blair, and we'll be properly up the creek without a paddle when Brown and eventually Cameron get in.

[cashman]

cant agree shaker that the nhs is better than pre blair, i think there was more staff in the right places then. i'm sure our nhs members will slap me if i'm incorrect.lol