Do you hate Tony Blair?

[Rum]

My father has met him.

I’m so impressed, that’s like meeting a good dose of the pox, good for him.

I heard an extract from his autobiography, out today and renamed from 'THE Journey' to 'A Journey' on the radio. Twat.

Apparently he woke up one morning and said to his Missus (Missus Mouth) 'John Smith is going to die and I am going to be the next Prime Minister'.

Direct line to god or what!?

[Jay G]

I saw Harold Wilson once. He was in the middle of a big crowd outside St. Paul's back in 1982.

[Pensioner]

I saw Harold Wilson once. He was in the middle of a big crowd outside St. Paul's back in 1982.

I once met the Queen mother when I was in the army, she needed a shave I can tell you, more hair on her upper lip than I had on my balls, the poor woman should have stood closer to the razor.

[AnInconvenientScotsman]

A lot of his domestic policies were very effective and there was a lot of potential in New Labour. He was hindered, though, by several factors including his inexperience in dealing with the Civil Service; factionalism within the party and his instinctive interventionism. He also made the mistake of allowing his faith to set policy; that may be acceptable to a lot in the US and other countries, but (even amongst believers) there is a very strong secular leaning in Britain.

There's a lot to like admire about Blair, but he made too many mistakes to be considered a good statesman, though he had much of what can make a great PM. I like him enough to say that in the poll, but his flaws are off-putting.

[Posse Comitatus]

BLAIR IS BEAUTIFUL

[Horwood Beer-Master]

...I liked him a lot for his domestic policies - a genuine 'third way' in many respects...

The 'turd way' was a con. Blair oversaw the rise of PFI - the economic cancer that will kill us.

Tony "direct line to God, atheists are a threat" Blair? Not just a cunt but the cunt's cunt.

What's worse is that the fucker didn't even have the guts to express his views on atheists while he was in office. He was perfectly happy to take the votes of non-believers while secretly despising them - where's the morality in that?

...I heard an extract from his autobiography, out today and renamed from 'THE Journey' to 'A Journey' on the radio...

I wouldn't be surprised if he'd contemplated calling it 'My Struggle' at some point.

A lot of his domestic policies were very effective...

Define effectiveness.

...he had much of what can make a great PM...

Which is?

No seriously. There was some magic spell that was cast over people when this guy was first elected which just never rubbed-off on me. Can someone explain what people saw in the guy.

BLAIR IS BEAUTIFUL

[AnInconvenientScotsman]

...he had much of what can make a great PM...

Which is?

No seriously. There was some magic spell that was cast over people when this guy was first elected which just never rubbed-off on me. Can someone explain what people saw in the guy.

He spoke authoritatively, exuded charisma and chose his words very carefully. He controlled public support, held a majority (indeed, he held an absolute majority in his first term) in Commons and his only other real rival in the party was Gordon Brown. Those are the three factors that a PM requires to be 'strong', in that a PM like Blair or Thatcher can bypass their Cabinet and ignore Commons to direct policy directly, in the way a head of state may. A great PM first has to be a strong PM and Tony Blair was a very, very strong Prime Minister pre-Iraq. So as I said, he had a lot of what makes a great PM but as I also pointed out, he was hindered and made mistakes as well.

[Feck]

Yes .

[leo-rcc]

If so, why? Specific reasons please.

He doesn't even register on my love/hate like/dislike list.

[Horwood Beer-Master]

...He spoke authoritatively, exuded charisma and chose his words very carefully...

Yeah, that kind of shit has never impressed me.
My initial impressions of Blair and his "charisma" were that he came across as a kind of slimy scheming second-hand-car-dealer con-man type.

Later on my opinion of him dropped...

...A great PM first has to be a strong PM...

I don't agree this necessarily follows. A truly great PM could be a PM who picks a great and strong cabinet in whom they can have confidence enough to let them get-on with their jobs.

Of course our current political system with it's inbuilt culture of backstabbing and betrayal doesn't exactly encourage this kind of scenario to emerge - hence we wind-up with a secession of 'dictator' PMs instead.

[AnInconvenientScotsman]

...A great PM first has to be a strong PM...

I don't agree this necessarily follows. A truly great PM could be a PM who picks a great and strong cabinet in whom they can have confidence enough to let them get-on with their jobs.

I'd disagree with you, there. John Major was perhaps the most collegiate of modern PMs and his government was a complete failure, despite the strength of his Cabinet. A PM who relies to much on his Cabinet is not leading government, as he should, he's allowing government to lead him.

That isn't to say that a dictatorial PM is any better. The PM should be a moderating force in Cabinet, with the capability to overturn and bypass ministers when necessary, but ultimately with the self-control to allow ministers to do their jobs most of the time.

[Warren Dew]

What's worse is that the fucker didn't even have the guts to express his views on atheists while he was in office. He was perfectly happy to take the votes of non-believers while secretly despising them - where's the morality in that?

To me, it actually seems a strength for a leader to ignore personal views with no bearing on his job while in office.

[AnInconvenientScotsman]

What's worse is that the fucker didn't even have the guts to express his views on atheists while he was in office. He was perfectly happy to take the votes of non-believers while secretly despising them - where's the morality in that?

To me, it actually seems a strength for a leader to ignore personal views with no bearing on his job while in office.

He didn't, though. He supported faith-schools far more than non-denominational schools. He let his faith dictate policy - secularism fail.

[Pappa]

I hate him because he's an utter cunt.

He thinks it's OK to break international law and kill thousands of innocent people just because he has a personal/religious conviction that it's the right thing to do.

He's a liar.

He removed many basic civil liberties here in the UK.

He's allowed state funded faith schools and academies to start teaching creationism in the UK.

He's a wanker.

[Pappa]

I dislike him. He could have talked a little sense into GW Bush, but chose not to.

Very good point. Instead, he prayed with him.