Well officially off then.

Am probably the only person on here who actually likes Tony Blair and is sorry to see him go. As all prime ministers you can't get it right all the time, you still are human after all, but I do believe he has done what he thought was right for the country, and he's actually the first prime minister I have had any faith in. He will always remembered for the disasters of the Iraq War, but he achieved something great in my opinion that others had failed at, peace in Northern Ireland.

And may I add its nice to see the elder generation now better off too, for far too long they have been left to struggle on, we arent a nation that seems to respect the elder generation like some countries, but nice to see it finally happen.

Don't shoot me down for my opinions, I just generally liked the man.

are the elderly better off? Pension failures have dogged his last term and elderly people are now having to work later and later on in life in order to keep themselves financially stable.

His efforts with devolution have to be praised, not only in Northern Ireland, but Scotland and Wales as well. However his constitutional reforms are shambolic, they remain incomplete.

He promised much, and delivered very little. He lacked substance, often manipulating the truth - or just telling blatant lies. He criticised the previous tory governments for their lies, spin and corruption - yet the labour government have taken to a new level. The Cash for Honours enquiry is nothing short of farcical and the lies about the 'weapons of mass destruction' are just two of the political disasters during his term.

He leaves behind a woeful welfare stat, further integration into the EU and the lives of thousands of soldiers who went to war based on a pack of lies.

Yeah but the pension situation can be blamed on governments gone by. It is in a woeful state, but I know ever elderly person I know is a lot happier with the income and little bonuses they get, and its their views that count.

Yeah thousands of soldiers have died, as have innocent Iraqis, but I also consider the people alive now that would have died over the future generations of a brutalistic regime.

You talk of lies and spin, there is not one governement that has not, nor will there ever be one that doesn't do this.

Maybe its a woman thing I don't know, but sometimes you can see inside a person and know, know whats there, and my instincts tell me that this man truly did what he thought was best for this country, rightly or wrongly, and its the first time I have ever been able to say that about a prime minister.

As did Hitler.

am not even gonna warrent that with a reply stubbsy, very silly comment to make, and completely unrelevant to bring Hitler into a discussion about Tony Blair.

My point was that regardless of what Blair thought was right, it means f'all. Hitler thought he was doing the right thing, even Mr Ridsdale did with his huge spending, what difference does it make? He is accountable for his mistakes, regardless of whether he thought he was doing the right thing or not.

In politics it is always the case of blaming the last government, not about what they've done to make it worse. They were corrupt from day one with the Ecclestone affair, convenient if nothing else, ending his term ten years later with a 'cash for honours' inquiry that shows the greed within the party. Just because there hasn't been a party that

"I may have been wrong. That's your call." - He knows he was wrong, just doesn't have the guts to say it. Maybe he was an honest man, but did he really believe there were weapons of mass destruction? He was one of very few that saw the dossier, and no-one will know the truth, but the facts are simple - over 60,000 dead because of a war that was formed on a pack of lies, and he is accountable, my point was that he is accountable, whether he was genuine or not.

I'd agree with Cuppy that he did genuinely try to do what was best for the country but really fucked up going into Iraq. I think he could even have been misled by his own advisors and those from the US. Sadly for me he will be remembered as Bush's lapdog.

Misled????? Remember poor old David Kelly and the subsequent Hutton enquiry. What a whitewash. Even though I've had nothing but contempt for this government, that was the final straw. Especially when Blair rather conveniently had to be rushed into hospital with 'heart problems' right in the middle of said enquiry.

The timing was the biggest peice of spin yet by this corrupt lot.

Umm yeah I forgot about that. Seems the Govt have as well.
What I meant was that Blair seems to have been just a mouth piece for some of the Govts actions.

Blair is a politicain - I think most of you have forgotton that. Politics, lies and deception go hand in hand.

However, Blair was brave enough to hand over control of the ecomony as far as interest rates are concerned to the Bank of Enland. The outcome of this is while the rest of the world have enjoyed two recessions since Labour came to power, we avoided them both.

I believe that in the future, Blair will be praised over our involvement in Iraq. If Blair hadnt gotten close to Bush over Iraq then America would have had free reign over what they wanted to do - as it was and is, Bliar has been able to be a kind of concious to the gunho attitude of Bush and who knows how many lives have been saved, at a cost of course.

I really do believe that in general Labour under Blair as done more good for this country than harm and if anyone doesnt agree with that look at how things are now compared to how they were in the early 90's. Most places have been or are going through regeneration with high streets having thiving businesses instead of shop after shop being boarded up.

There were cock ups, of course, but I like I say, in gerenal I think we are in a fairly strong position in the world and I dont envy the PM who has to take over from Blair as they have something to live up to.

Finally, as Cuppy says, its how people really are that counts and not the fringe exceptions that the media try to pass of as the norm, after all how many articles do you see in the papers stating how many sucessfull operations are being carried out? None? Compare that to how many articles you see because there ave been a handful of cock ups? Yep, the papers are full of them trying to make us believe that this is the norm. Again, in general things are alot better than the media make out and I would worry alot if people put too much blind faith in the sun and the mirror - after all, they are only there to promote their own best interests.

ahem. :D

Utopia!!!!!! How can I have missed out on it???

Fucked in the head, me.

Sarcasm??

Im mearly pointing out that things arent as bad as is made out in the press.
The press have to sell newspapers and the only news that sells is bad news.
Tis the same with the TV and radio now as well - they all focus on the negative.

Although its well known that i am not a Labour supporter, I think Blair will be remembered as a good PM in all.

From my generation anyway, the things he will be remembered for are the war in Iraq, top up fees and devolution.

Ok so the war was contraversial, you cant have everyone agree on this, and its not as if Blair planned the situation he found himself in. He dealt with it in the manner he found appropriate and for that i cannot fault the man.

Devolution has worked well so far and a step towards a more local approach to governing. Thumbs up there. ((again, problems in N.I but not as if thats his fault either. Referendum held, people wanted it... in it went. cant argue there either))

Obviously from my view, top up fees = bad but in general has not affected the population in a severe enough way for him to be remembered badly for it.

Lest not forget, the economy has been kept up well and this is something the conservatives cant even argue on. continually, every year the economy has been well managed and generally, people are better off.

its a case of there not being anything hugely contraversial during his reign, rather than a series of good things Blair will be remembered for... but remember that it takes a bloody big effort just to keep the country running. I dont think he's done anything particularly badly, and nothing stands out as hugely world moving, but a smooth run is a good run surely?

the only thing that could potentially be a cock up is the new pensions... but that will fall on browns head, not Blairs as we see the consequences of that in the next 5 years or so. You could even say he's pretty sneaky leaving now.. perhaps he knows its a bad idea and wants out before he gets the blame!? Who knows.

I am no politician and am the type of person who says it as he sees it..

so...

I am a labour supporter and and fan of Tony Blair. All I can remember is under the tory rule as a child in a working class family was not nice. More crime, the taking away of 'people power', less jobs, less leisure family time, high mortgages, miners strike, poll tax, negative equity in homes, people losing their homes...

Now what i see...two car families, 2 holidays a year, less people losing their homes, more jobs, safer streets (you did not want to walk around gipton...believe me), good jobs, strong and STABLE economy, more leisure and expendable income (gyms, sky, etc)

In my simple opinion the UK is in a better place now than it has been since i can remember...

in an very uneducated opinin, tony bliar is a cock.

watcfh him make his money now, after lketting his wife make a fuckload through the stupid, stupid human rights act shite his govenmetn introduced.

noib head.

im am slightly drink ans this post should probably be ignored.

i love you yout my bedt mate,

were you and mugsey seperated at birth :lolanimate:

yeah he was the evil left twin

Only saw this now. What an outstanding post. I know how you feel, mate..... :lolanimate:

and he get's a job as sepcial envoy to the middle east ... LOL ... marvellous could he have really started the war to give himself a high profile job post PM .. ing.

LOL ... only joking what credibility does this man have.

Imagine the security he will have to have when he visit the middle east.