Talk Elections

With it being 15 years ago today since it was elected...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQHMUHKCy88

*deep breath*

On one hand, they fought 4 wars, opened public services up to private involvement to disastrous result, messed up Lords reform, didn't go far enough with devolution and didn't regulate the economy to prevent the 2007 crash.

On the other, they gave us the minimum wage, the EMA, the Winter Fuel Allowance, the Freedom of Information Act, peace in Northern Ireland (partial credit to Major here, mind you), civil unions, the fox hunting ban and (importantly for me) the Gender Recognition Act.

Difficult for me to vote either way on this one.

Mixed. It obviously left the UK better than it was after 18 years of neoliberalism. Still, they are responsible for the abandonment by the European left of all social-democratic values, and their embracement of a political doctrine which accomodated with neoliberalism, with all the disastrous consequences it has brought.

Lean horrible government.

Mediocre is the best description

or, rather, an ideological era is only properly ushered in when the official opposition wholly operates within its contours: such was the function of Blair, Clinton, aspects of Mitterand, etc.

My opinion of that government is certainly higher than my opinion of the man who led it.

One of the more amusing things about Blair's autobiography is his apparent regret for basically all the achievements of his government.

Yes. I did find that amusing; though I have a feeling most PM's feel the same way once they look back.

For me I have to split it down the middle. 1997-2001 was a good government. Hands down. 2001-2005 was mired by the Iraq War, though I never really gave two hoots about it as a major issue really. 2005-2007 was almost spectral in that it's clear that Blair no longer cared.

Like most Tories we don't tend to dismiss the other side simply because they are the other side. Blair's government wasn't bad for what it was. 'New Labour' (which is now ironically 'old') was the ideological heir of Thatcherism, though curiously without being 'Majorist.' On the other hand the current government is a continuation of Majorism (which in itself was a continuation of Thatcherism, but in a different way, if you can follow) which may account for it's current state of malaise.

Mixed. HP on civil liberties, tolerable economically, FF abroad.

Funny, I'm basically the opposite.

Policies I approve of:

Minimum wage
Hunting ban
Introduction of civil partnerships and other steps forward in gay rights
Ban on smoking in enclosed public places
Ban on handguns
Ban on animal testing
Righ to roam
Devolution
More investment in the NHS and education
Good Friday Agreement
Restrictions on animal testing
Removal of hereditary peers

Policies I disapprove of:

Iraq War
Afghanistan War
Tuition fees
Attempt to introduce ID cards
Most of the 'anti-terrorism' legislation

So pretty mixed. Essentially Blair governed as a pre-Thatcher One Nation Tory.

I haven't read, but the same things can be read into Clinton: surely he had an instinct to 'make things better', if we look at the first two years.  but the point is that they got eaten up, and the resultant crisis of character is, at best, cute.  just imagine that the only barrier standing between us and privatized Social Security in 1998 was a cum-stained dress.

 Uncontrolled Immigration , the destruction a budget surplus, and a lax attitude on crime were the governments 3 biggest faliures. Other good stuffs ofc. OK, but lean HP.

I'm glad Blair helped create a reasonable concenus on economic policy, we don't want to end up like France with no political or economic liberalism at all. I don't want politics to be warped to one side or the other
In 10 years time Cuba will be less communist.
As to being a better nation, my mother insists that her NHS experience was better when she had me under Major, than it was under Blair.
(Apologies to any French people I have offended, I'm just not a fan of your politics)

::)

Correction: We do and we will.