Tony quits!!

hajj

hajj

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The Times said:
Tony Blair returned to where his political career first began today for the formal announcement of his resignation as Labour leader and to mount a passionate defence of his record as Prime Minister over the past decade.

In an emotional speech to party supporters at the Trimdon Labour Club - where he began his own Labour leadership campaign 13 years ago and celebrated three straight general election victories - Mr Blair claimed to have changed the face of modern Britain since Labour came to power in 1997.

Whereas ten years ago, Britain had been a "strangely old-fashioned country", it was now one that was "comfortable in the 21st century, at home in its own skin". "Britain is not a follower today. It is a leader," he said.

But, while admitting that other aspects of his premiership - such as the decision to join the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 - remained "bitterly controversial", he declared: "Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right."

Under the timetable laid out, Mr Blair will formally tender his resignation as Prime Minister to the Queen on June 27. That means a six-week contest for the Labour leadership - although few believe that it will be anything other than a coronation for Gordon Brown, Mr Blair's long-time partner in the new Labour project and his Chancellor since 1997.

The most successful leader in Labour history first won the Sedgefield seat as a fresh-faced 30-year-old in 1983 and remains massively popular in the constituency. Even though he was arriving today to announce his resignation, there was a carnival atmosphere at the Trimdon Club, with party activists dancing around to Lou Bega's Mambo No 5 as they waited impatiently for their MP to appear at around noon.

After paying tribute to his agent, John Burton, and to his wife, Cherie, and four children, Mr Blair said: "I have come back here to Sedgefield, to my constituency, where my political journey began and where it?s fitting that it should end."

He added: "I?ve been Prime Minister of this country for just over ten years. 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."

In a wide-ranging speech, punctuated repeatedly by bursts of applause, Mr Blair explained his own political development - he was born a decade after the Second World War and came to political maturity as the Cold War was coming to an end, at a time of "political, economic and technical revolution".

At that time, he said, Britain was largely a divided nation, where people were either liberal or conservative, where they backed either the power of the state or the power of the individual, where spending was "either the answer or the problem".

He then challenged his audience to think back - "no, really, think back" - to 1997 and try to remember the last time that they had to spend a year on a hospital waiting list or heard of a pensioner freezing to death because they could not meet their energy bill.

On his foreign policy record, Mr Blair was less defiant, although he said it had been right, after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, to "stand shoulder to shoulder with our oldest ally, and I did so out of belief".
"And so Afghanistan, and then Iraq - the latter bitterly controversial," he added. "And removing Saddam and his sons from power, as with removing the Taliban, was over with relative ease.

"But the blowback since, with global terrorism and those elements that support it, has been fierce and unrelenting and costly and for many it simply isn?t and can?t be worth it. For me, I think we must see it through."

He added: "I may have been wrong. That?s your call. But believe one thing if nothing else, I did what I thought was right for my country."

Above the applause, the sounds of a small anti-war protest outside the clubhouse could not be heard.

Dressed in an orange boiler suit and surrounded by police as he knelt on the ground, Abubaker Deghayes, whose brother Omar was taken five years ago from Lahore, Pakistan, shouted through a megaphone: "The police are surrounding the building, come out with your hands up, you are wanted for war crimes."

Mr Brown will find out this afternoon if he is likely to face a challenge from either John McDonnell or Michael Meacher, the two leftwing MPs who have thrown their hats into the ring for the Labour leadership. Nominations for the contest open on Monday.

In the meantime, Mr Blair will begin an extraordinary world tour, starting with a visit to Paris tomorrow and a meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy, the rightwinger elected president at the weekend on a platform of economic deregulation and reform.

The Trimdon speech followed a Cabinet meeting early this morning, at which Mr Blair formally told ministers about his resignation plans.

Cabinet ministers avoided comment in order to avoid forestalling Mr Blair, as they emerged from 10 Downing St at the unusually early time of 9.30am after a shortened meeting with only one item on its agenda.

But the Prime Minister's official spokesman revealed at a lobby briefing afterwards that at a business-like Cabinet meeting, where there had been no tears but several good-humoured jokes, Mr Blair had acknowledged that "today was not a normal day", and that he would be going to his constituency to make an announcement.

As the Cabinet meeting drew to a close, however, Mr Brown intervened. Prefacing his remarks by saying that the Prime Minister could rule him out of order if he wanted, he did not think it was right to finish the final Cabinet without paying tribute to the "unique achievements and the unique leadership that the Prime Minister had given to his party, to Britain and to the world".

At this, said Mr Blair's spokesman, there was "much thumping of the table".
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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/the_blair_years/article1771045.ece

Well done, it is a bit late, but better late than never.
 
Unfortunately I personally think Brown will be worse.
 
As expected, 6 weeks of faux electioneering within the Labour party and we then get Gordon Brown. Good oh. ...
 
Whilst I think my opinion of Tony Blair doesn't need restating, what I do think is a shame is that Gordon Brown's just going to take over willy-nilly. Blair could've had the decency to wait until the next General Election to step down so we could actually get a chance to vote Gordon Brown in (or not, as may have been the case).
 
At least we wont have to put with with David Cameron. I'm suppressed his Tonyness has made it this long but good for him for doing so.
 
I think the Brits will be missing Tony Blair in a few years. Americans miss Bill Clinton, Canadians miss Jean Chr?tien... usually when a progressist politician leaves, he is at the lowest of lows. Aside from Iraq and the insanity with the cameras in public Tony Blair has a pretty impressive record.
 
All this fighting and the only successful regime change has taken place in the UK. Way to go, Bush.
 
epp_b said:
So, is it Blair that's all tree-huggishness or the party as a whole?
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Normally, trying to get policies through without the support of your party, is quite hard. So I would suppose that Labour is quite involved in the scheme too.

Samir said:
I think the Brits will be missing Tony Blair in a few years. Americans miss Bill Clinton, Canadians miss Jean Chr?tien... usually when a progressist politician leaves, he is at the lowest of lows. Aside from Iraq and the insanity with the cameras in public Tony Blair has a pretty impressive record.
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I really think that's true. Tony Blair is probably the british paralell to our only female PM, Gro Harlem Brundtland. We were a bit tired of her when she retired in 96, but in the end, most of us do think quite much of her. Even if she was a bit angry at times. Worth to add, she's labour, not any conservative party.
 
yeah tony quits

but look at the ..... and im sorry but there is no other word for this man..... cvnt that is taking his place.

been reading alot lately and it just seems to me that in labour theyre either completely clueless, out of touch, incompetent dim wits, or scheming bastards intent on robbing tax payers and making themselves richer.

if i could id stab every single labour minister, MP, idiot, dunce whatever.. square in the face. that is how much i detest that party

on the flip side.... lib dems and conservatives appear to be just as infuriating.

for the record i dont think there will ever be a british prime minister or party that a) i like and b) can trust
 
Blind_Io said:
All this fighting and the only successful regime change has taken place in the UK. Way to go, Bush.
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Well it only took place due to Blair keeping a promise made in the mid nineties, exacerbated by his ill health last year.

Even our John Howard will probably win our election later this year. I think it's clear that the conflict in Iraq has not had much of an effect on the polls - obviously all the anti-war protesters aren't putting their money where their mouths are! We still voted for Howard, Bush and Blair. Howard and Blair at least might have some decent policies back on domestic soil (IR laws not included), so whats your excuse for keeping Bush?
 
Red_Bull said:
Well it only took place due to Blair keeping a promise made in the mid nineties, exacerbated by his ill health last year.

Even our John Howard will probably win our election later this year. I think it's clear that the conflict in Iraq has not had much of an effect on the polls - obviously all the anti-war protesters aren't putting their money where their mouths are! We still voted for Howard, Bush and Blair. Howard and Blair at least might have some decent policies back on domestic soil (IR laws not included), so whats your excuse for keeping Bush?
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On the contrary - Labour have now lost control of the Scottish Parliament after an absurd number of years of Scotland being Labour heartland. A large slice of this is down to Iraq (despite the Scots Parliament not having any say in that). The Labour Party in the Welsh Assembly's numbers have been cut.

The local council makeup (which was a separate vote, using STV) has changed, too. Labour are now only in charge of 2 of Scotland's local councils, compared to 13 previously.

There was a joke that you could put a monkey in a Labour rosette in as candidate for any Glasgow seat, and they'd win - due to traditional Labour soil being there. This was proven wrong in the elections - one SNP gain in Glasgow, plus Labour majorities slashed.

The longer Iraq drags on, the more the rolling stone gathers moss. Latest opinion polls (admittedly from before Tony Blair resigned and Gordon Brown took over) shows the Conservative Party having a lead over Labour. If there was a General Election tomorrow, I wouldn't want to put money on Labour winning.

I can't speak for Australia or the US, mind.
 
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