Blair to leave office on June 27

[Blinger1]

Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday he will quit on June 27, 10 years after winning power in what was hailed as a new dawn for Britain that has since been darkened by the Iraq war.
Blair's resignation triggers a contest for the leadership of the ruling Labour Party, which finance minister Gordon Brown is favourite to win. Brown would then become prime minister.
"I've been prime minister of this country for just over 10 years," Blair told party members in Trimdon in his northern England constituency.

RELATED LINKS
End of the Blair era (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:window.open%28%27http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=266427%27%29;void%280%29;)
"I think that's long enough, not only for me, but also for the country and sometimes the only way you conquer the pull of power is to set it down." http://direct.ninemsn.com.au/scripts/accipiter/nserver/SITE=NEWS/AREA=WORLD/SUBSECTION=/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM/NOJAVASCRIPT=TRUE (http://direct.ninemsn.com.au/scripts/accipiter/adclick/SITE=NEWS/AREA=WORLD/SUBSECTION=/LOC=TOP/AAMSZ=MEDIUM)Blair defended his record in office, saying "I did what I thought was right" during his decade in power.
In particular he defended his decision to stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, including going to war against Iraq in 2003.
Blair, U.S. President George W. Bush's closest ally over Iraq, leaves office out of favour among voters for sending British forces to join the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
A Labour Party rebellion in September forced him to say he would quit within a year to allow Brown, his long-time heir apparent, to take over.
But Blair will also be remembered for helping bring peace to Northern Ireland after decades of violence, winning three straight elections for Labour for the first time and dragging it from its left-wing roots to the centre of British politics.
An opinion poll published by the Guardian newspaper on Thursday showed 60 percent of voters believed Blair would be remembered as a force for change, though not always good. The ICM poll said 44 percent believed he had been good for Britain.
Blair had long been expected to hand over power before the end of his third term to let another Labour leader guide the party into the next national elections, expected in 2009.
Brown, whose official residence is next door to Blair's in London's Downing Street, has waited with increasing impatience for the departure of his neighbour. Critics say their rivalry, often bitter, has diluted the government's effectiveness.
Blair quits as only the second prime minister in a century to have served 10 years, tainted by a corruption scandal in which he became the first serving prime minister to be quizzed by police in a criminal probe.
Brown's chief challenge will be to revive support for Labour and overtake the opposition Conservatives in the opinion polls.
Conservative leader David Cameron, 40, has revitalised the party of Margaret Thatcher — the only prime minister to hold power longer than Blair in the past century — since he became leader in 2005. Polls suggest he could win a slim majority in parliament in national elections.

Reuters, AFP

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=266456

[Browney]

Ah well, so long Blair.

[Carlos]

No-one can run the country better than him.

[Browney]

No-one can run the country better than him.

Especially if the next PM is going to be Gordon Brown.

[Willz]

Something tells me that Gordon Brown is going to be rubbish.

[OMGitsaROSS]

And I am moving to Australia in 2 years. So only 2 years of Gordon Brown =]

[Barkseh2131]

Tony Blair has been a good PM in my opinion. (he aint a stuck up **** like most)

[Kardan]

No-one can run the country better than him.

If you're not being sarcastic, then I agree with you :)

[Dan2nd]

The only thing I didn't like with Tony Blair was the Iraq thing.

[Kardan]

The only thing I didn't like with Tony Blair was the Iraq thing.

That's, in my opinion anyway, one of the only bad things he's done to this country.

[Barkseh2131]

Well if they did have wepons of mass distructions he was rite to go to war. :P

[-:Undertaker:-]

No-one can run the country better than him.

That made me laugh.


Well if they did have wepons of mass distructions he was rite to go to war. :P

They didn't have any :)

All I can say is thank god he's going, the blair era was NHS Meltdown, Schools getting easier, disipline going, justice gone down the drain and loss of lives because of the Iraq War.

Goodbye Mr.Blair.

[Nixt]

That made me laugh.



They didn't have any :)

All I can say is thank god he's going, the blair era was NHS Meltdown, Schools getting easier, disipline going, justice gone down the drain and loss of lives because of the Iraq War.

Goodbye Mr.Blair.

Clearly Blair did some good or he would not of served as Prime Minister for ten years. Admittedly he made mistakes, the Iraq war was hardly his best decision but ultimately he had no choice.
You say that the "Blair Era" brought about an NHS Meltdown however this is far from true. Blair increased public spending on the NHS and although the NHS isn't the best, it's damn good. If say, the Conservatives had stayed in power things would be a lot worse - as hospitals were in an atrocious state when Blair took over and he has improved this significantly.
Can you also clarify these points: "schools getting easier, discipline going, justice gone down the drain" because I am unable to fully understand what you are trying to say.

[OMGitsaROSS]

he r saying that rare values r on the up now.

[benjamin]

he r saying that rare values r on the up now.
I lol'd. :D

G'bye Mr.Blair!

[-:Undertaker:-]

Clearly Blair did some good or he would not of served as Prime Minister for ten years. Admittedly he made mistakes, the Iraq war was hardly his best decision but ultimately he had no choice.
You say that the "Blair Era" brought about an NHS Meltdown however this is far from true. Blair increased public spending on the NHS and although the NHS isn't the best, it's damn good. If say, the Conservatives had stayed in power things would be a lot worse - as hospitals were in an atrocious state when Blair took over and he has improved this significantly.
Can you also clarify these points: "schools getting easier, discipline going, justice gone down the drain" because I am unable to fully understand what you are trying to say.

He may of increased spending but that doesn't make NHS get better?, Pumping Billions into a service won't save it.

Schools are getting easier as it showed in Newspapers once, it had exam results from around 1980's and compared them to todays papers, I can tell you the questions have got easier.

Disipline has gone down the drain, kids are worse than ever and they don't show respect anymore.

Justice, Rapists getting 2 years!?, Murders getting 15 years!? I so called life sentence my BUM.

[Browney]

Disipline has gone down the drain, kids are worse than ever and they don't show respect anymore.



I lol'd. Yes, Blair is gonna put naughty kids over his knee and give 'em a good hiding. Suddenly it's Blair's job to teach kids respect? Parents have nothing to do with it? I'm gonna vote David Cameron because he might teach my kids how to use a knife and fork.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I lol'd. Yes, Blair is gonna put naughty kids over his knee and give 'em a good hiding. Suddenly it's Blair's job to teach kids respect? Parents have nothing to do with it? I'm gonna vote David Cameron because he might teach my kids how to use a knife and fork.

No, teachers need more powers against these yobs and we need tougher laws, very clear that I didn't mean Blair himself to smack them.

As prime minister you are supposed to improve the country.

David Cameron is a total moron and is another Blair.

Things can only get better? - Nah.

[Nixt]

He may of increased spending but that doesn't make NHS get better?, Pumping Billions into a service won't save it.

Schools are getting easier as it showed in Newspapers once, it had exam results from around 1980's and compared them to todays papers, I can tell you the questions have got easier.

Disipline has gone down the drain, kids are worse than ever and they don't show respect anymore.

Justice, Rapists getting 2 years!?, Murders getting 15 years!? I so called life sentence my BUM.

The health service has dramatically improved since Blair came into power, the Conservatives left the education system and hospitals in a state and the spending combined with decent policies meant that things picked up. There is no way you can dispute the fact that Blair made these improvements.
The Government, as far as I am aware, only decide what goes into the curriculum they do not have an input on the difficulty of exams; the exam board select the questions etc.
Discipline and etiquette is a result of society, the government don't make children behave badly. It's the parents responsibility to discipline their children, not the government's lol.
Once again I don't think it's just the government who has influence when it comes to justice. You cannot hold Blair solely responsible for something like that...

[-:Undertaker:-]

The health service has dramatically improved since Blair came into power, the Conservatives left the education system and hospitals in a state and the spending combined with decent policies meant that things picked up. There is no way you can dispute the fact that Blair made these improvements.
The Government, as far as I am aware, only decide what goes into the curriculum they do not have an input on the difficulty of exams; the exam board select the questions etc.
Discipline and etiquette is a result of society, the government don't make children behave badly. It's the parents responsibility to discipline their children, not the government's lol.
Once again I don't think it's just the government who has influence when it comes to justice. You cannot hold Blair solely responsible for something like that...

The government could make questions harder if they wanted to, Also if you brought back the cane/make it easier to expel people, do you really think we'd have little yobs behaving like animals? - I don't think so..

Also Government do have power over laws, life used to mean life, it means 7 years now.

I can hold Blair responsible, he took on the task and promised a better Britain, he FAILED and lied to us over a illegal war which has killed many people.

[Nixt]

The government could make questions harder if they wanted to, Also if you brought back the cane/make it easier to expel people, do you really think we'd have little yobs behaving like animals? - I don't think so..

Also Government do have power over laws, life used to mean life, it means 7 years now.

I can hold Blair responsible, he took on the task and promised a better Britain, he FAILED and lied to us over a illegal war which has killed many people.

It is not the responsibility of the government to make the questions and how hard or easy they are and just because they could - it does not mean they will exploit that power and get involved in everything as the majority of people would not like this.
Yes the government have power of laws, they make the laws. Laws and sentencing are two different things - sentencing is covered the an act but many other things influence a Judge's decision to sentence and individual.
Blair has brought us a better Britain, what does the Iraq war have to do with a better Britain? Absolutely nothing?! It was a mistake, yes but it doesn't make Britain better or worse for it inhabitants really. Your problem with Blair seems to be with the Iraq war, and your other points are generally quite invalid.

[-:Undertaker:-]

It is not the responsibility of the government to make the questions and how hard or easy they are and just because they could - it does not mean they will exploit that power and get involved in everything as the majority of people would not like this.
Yes the government have power of laws, they make the laws. Laws and sentencing are two different things - sentencing is covered the an act but many other things influence a Judge's decision to sentence and individual.
Blair has brought us a better Britain, what does the Iraq war have to do with a better Britain? Absolutely nothing?! It was a mistake, yes but it doesn't make Britain better or worse for it inhabitants really. Your problem with Blair seems to be with the Iraq war, and your other points are generally quite invalid.

If the questions are getting easier than it is the governments job to intervene and make sure todays generation aren't turning into cabbages.

If the sentencing is getting less harsh then the Government, again, needs to intervene, if Rapists and Muderers are getting 5 years then cleary something needs to be done.

The war with Iraq has left Britain worse off, familys spilt in half, soliders going over there to DIE and for what?

God yeah, Britain does seem better :rolleyes:

[3d]

well tbh blair did have a few big mistakes but other than that he wasnt bad

[Nixt]

If the questions are getting easier than it is the governments job to intervene and make sure todays generation aren't turning into cabbages.

If the sentencing is getting less harsh then the Government, again, needs to intervene, if Rapists and Muderers are getting 5 years then cleary something needs to be done.

The war with Iraq has left Britain worse off, familys spilt in half, soliders going over there to DIE and for what?

God yeah, Britain does seem better :rolleyes:

It is not their responsibility. Maybe they should get involved, however as I said previously if the government get too involved with everything then people start complaining. Besides, measures have been introduced to make sure grades aren't so easy to achieve - the abolition of coursework etc.
Only 2.5% of rapists are arrested for another rape after being released. Okay this isn't good however that's a very tiny amount so you can hardly say that all criminals repeatedly offend following release. They learn their lessons from the stretches they are given so why leave congested prisons full of prisoners who actually have learnt from their mistakes. I suppose it's all a matter of opinion though.
There have been a total of 148 British casualties in the Iraq war, out of a population of 60 million. This might be considered too much and perhaps it is, however these people sign up and join the army; they are aware of the implications; they know they may go to war and so do their families - it is their choice, not the government's.

[Browney]

The dumbing down of tests seems like it was going to happen whether Blair liked it or not. Very early television used to be educational, but not anymore. We get "eh-oh." Dumbing down is occuring everywhere.

I seriously have no arguement against longer sentences. I think you're right that the prison times some murderers spend are ridiculous. However, these are certain judges, in certain places, not everywhere. There are judges who are making a stand and giving longer sentences.

The war in Iraq was started using the information available at the time. Looking back now, anybody could say Blair was wrong, at the time it looked like the right thing to do.

[Dan2nd]

If the questions are getting easier than it is the governments job to intervene and make sure todays generation aren't turning into cabbages.

If the sentencing is getting less harsh then the Government, again, needs to intervene, if Rapists and Muderers are getting 5 years then cleary something needs to be done.

The war with Iraq has left Britain worse off, familys spilt in half, soliders going over there to DIE and for what?

God yeah, Britain does seem better :rolleyes:

Dude its a war people are going to die no matter what unless they invent cyborges or something ;l

[-:Undertaker:-]

The dumbing down of tests seems like it was going to happen whether Blair liked it or not. Very early television used to be educational, but not anymore. We get "eh-oh." Dumbing down is occuring everywhere.

I seriously have no arguement against longer sentences. I think you're right that the prison times some murderers spend are ridiculous. However, these are certain judges, in certain places, not everywhere. There are judges who are making a stand and giving longer sentences.

The war in Iraq was started using the information available at the time. Looking back now, anybody could say Blair was wrong, at the time it looked like the right thing to do.

I think it was for oil, I knew it was wrong at the time and so did most of the world, America was still behind their president becasue they were brainwashed, watch Farenheit 9/11, it shows how long Bush and the Administration spent brainwashing.


Dude its a war people are going to die no matter what unless they invent cyborges or something ;l

Oh!

So it's ok that people are dieing, I see your point now.

[Dan2nd]

Oh!

So it's ok that people are dieing, I see your point now.

Oh please quote me saying that? .. :rolleyes: Yeah didn't think I did Like I said people die in war face it is a FACT. Yes Tony Blair took us to war but it is NOT his fault people have died in it.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Oh please quote me saying that? .. :rolleyes: Yeah didn't think I did Like I said people die in war face it is a FACT. Yes Tony Blair took us to war but it is NOT his fault people have died in it.

It is his fault, he takes us into an illegal war for nothing and it's HIS fault over the deaths.

[Dan2nd]

It is his fault, he takes us into an illegal war for nothing and it's HIS fault over the deaths.

He took us into a war but he dosn't work out plans and stratagys (sp?) does he? he dosn't tell the soldiers where to go.. so it can't possibly be his fault unless hes standing there with an AK47 shooting them himself. thats like saying hes funding the NHS so its his fault Mr Todd died on the operating table last week.

[-:Undertaker:-]

He took us into a war but he dosn't work out plans and stratagys (sp?) does he? he dosn't tell the soldiers where to go.. so it can't possibly be his fault unless hes standing there with an AK47 shooting them himself. thats like saying hes funding the NHS so its his fault Mr Todd died on the operating table last week.

He took us into a war for no reason, so it's his fault.

Just like it was Hitlers fault that so many Germans/Americans/Britains died.

[Dan2nd]

He took us into a war for no reason, so it's his fault.

Just like it was Hitlers fault that so many Germans/Americans/Britains died.

lmao I can't belive your actually comparing Tony Blair with Hitler .. ok lets have a look shall we

Ok Hitler wanted to:


Take over europe and maybe one day the world
Rid the world of Jewish people
Create a pure race of blond people with blue eyes and kill everyone else


Tony Blair wanted to:

Protect the security of Britain & The world
Remove a dictator who killed hundreds of iraqis
and find non existant weapons of mass destruction thats the only thing he did wrong


Hitlers intentions were bad Blairs intentions were good. Tony Blair started the war I agree with that but its not his fault people have died. Theres no way of argueing against it ;l Hitler on the other hand planned the death of millions of jewish people. :rolleyes:

[Aces]

My opinion is that he was a great PM

[24]

I dont like how he always said how "this government was so much better than the conservatives". That was 10 years ago, he really needed to get a new "Were better than..." statement as i think the time to use that as a comparison had ended.
I think he was a good family man and maybe id go along with he was a good person but i'm glad hes going. Its time for change.

[-:Undertaker:-]

lmao I can't belive your actually comparing Tony Blair with Hitler .. ok lets have a look shall we

Ok Hitler wanted to:

Take over europe and maybe one day the world
Rid the world of Jewish people
Create a pure race of blond people with blue eyes and kill everyone elseTony Blair wanted to:

Protect the security of Britain & The world
Remove a dictator who killed hundreds of iraqis
and find non existant weapons of mass destruction thats the only thing he did wrongHitlers intentions were bad Blairs intentions were good. Tony Blair started the war I agree with that but its not his fault people have died. Theres no way of argueing against it ;l Hitler on the other hand planned the death of millions of jewish people. :rolleyes:


No I was comparing how it's both their fault how they started the wars, so yes I can compare them.

Protect the security of Britain & The world
Oh yeah, Iraq now is so much better now than it was under Saddam :rolleyes:

Did you know Iraq posed NO THREAT what so ever to any country?

Remove a dictator who killed hundreds of iraqis
He kept the country safe, USA and UK have killed thousands because of this illegal disgusting war.

Also if you ask most Iraqis, they want him back so the Freedom claim is bull, Iraqis aren't free, did you know women had more freedom and western rights under Saddam than now.

and find non existant weapons of mass destruction thats the only thing he did wrong
In other words, LIE LIE LIE about it all, so send troops over there on a damn right LIE so there deaths we're for a lie.

[Jamesy]

i dont know. I think in the 10 years he did lots of good things. Iraq is a big mess but i dont think he can be blamed personally for the insergents. If there were no insergents around Iraq would have been stabalised a lot quicker. Afghanistan is to stop the taliban. Which is good. War is never the best, but if we wernt fighting in the middle east then maybe there would be more terrorists than there alredi is. I think blair did an ok job IMO.

[-:Undertaker:-]

i dont know. I think in the 10 years he did lots of good things. Iraq is a big mess but i dont think he can be blamed personally for the insergents. If there were no insergents around Iraq would have been stabalised a lot quicker. Afghanistan is to stop the taliban. Which is good. War is never the best, but if we wernt fighting in the middle east then maybe there would be more terrorists than there alredi is. I think blair did an ok job IMO.

He can, he and Bush attacked a country with no terrorists and made it like a sewer for terrorists.

I'd say there are more terrorists because of the collapse of Saddam than there were before.

So they have infact made the world a less safe place, also did you know they gave Bin Laden a two month head start when they invaded Afganhistan? and they only sent in less soliders than there were in New York.

[Jamesy]

well thats your opinion :D

[-:Undertaker:-]

well thats your opinion :D

No it's fact, Iraq is worse off now than it was.

[Kardan]

No it's fact, Iraq is worse off now than it was.

I agree - but if it was left it would of got worse over time. However the US and UK government could of came up with a better plan, every night on the news I hear the same thing, 'Car bomb kills 30 people in crowded market square'

Parts of Iraq are out of control.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I agree - but if it was left it would of got worse over time. However the US and UK government could of came up with a better plan, every night on the news I hear the same thing, 'Car bomb kills 30 people in crowded market square'

Parts of Iraq are out of control.

Saddam could of carried on improving the countrys if the UN Santations were lifted, as he had said before he was willing to work with the US and UK but Bush ignored it all.

Every day people loose their lives because of a unjustified war, Saddam gave them more freedoms than other Arab countrys.