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Tony Blair has unquestionably been the most remarkable politician of his generation, in the UK and across Europe. His hat-trick of election victories is historic. His gifts, as a quick and intuitive politician of charm and tenacity, are formidable.
His and Gordon Brown's stewardship of the economy over the past decade has very nearly established Labour as the natural party of government. His attempts to reform public services such as health and education have not so much failed as disappointed. A socially tolerant government
defended the rights of gays, mothers and women in the workplace, yet illiberally attacked civil libert-ies and retreated into secrecy. Mr Blair deserves accolades for achieving peace and
power-sharing in Northern Ireland. Yet the misjudgment and misadventure in Iraq will forever soil a record that could have been so much better.
That dawn a decade ago broke to the anthem of “Things can only get better”. Quite often, they did. Under Mr Blair, Britain has enjoyed 10 years of unbroken economic growth, with low inflation and low unemployment. This stable prosperity owes much to Mr. Brown as chancellor (and to his Conservative predecessor, Kenneth Clarke). But that should not overshadow the conviction with which New Labour has embraced globalisation and kept the economy and the country open to trade, investment and immigrants. The Blair government has not managed to create a noticeably fairer society, as the beginnings of a backlash against the bonus and executive pay bonanza in the City attest. But, as a result of increased public spending and measures such as the minimum wage, there has been no increase in the inequality opened up by the Thatcher decade. |
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发表于 2007-10-4 11:22:15
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