Tony Blair
Jordan Carter blogs his approval of Tony Blair's last party conference speech and Blair's contribution to the uk. It is certainly a great speech.
I regard Tony Blair as a centrist right winger at heart who was in Labour because the Torys were so unappealing to “middle” Britain. It was when I was over there for six weeks last year I realised that his instincts are of the right.
I used to think Blair was like Clark. Clark sometimes goes centrist on some issues. But Clark does it purely to gain votes, or deflate a hot issue. Clark instinctively is very much on the left wing of Labour – she is just willing to compromise as much as is necessary to stay in power (I say that with a mixture of appreciation and condemnation).
Blair though is a genuine believer in education and health reforms which provide choice and competition. His language is often language of the right. He definitely is a believer in third world poverty relief etc, but that is not universal to the left.
It is a pity that Blair's record will be judged mainly on his decision to support action against Saddam Hussein. He does deserve more consideration than that.