Tony Blair, whom along with Bill Clinton, the backbone of the third wayers of the 90s, has resigned from the UK premiership:
Labour leader Gordon Brown is the UK’s new prime minister after being asked to form a government by the Queen.
Posing outside No 10 with wife Sarah, the man who has been Tony Blair’s chancellor for the past 10 years, said: “Let the work of change begin.”
He said his priorities were education, health and restoring trust in politics. He promised he would “try my utmost”.
Outgoing PM Blair had earlier received an emotional and unprecedented standing ovation from MPs as he left Parliament.
It is the first time in 17 years a UK prime minister has entered office without a general election. [Brown is UK’s new prime minister. BBC News. June 27 2007]
I may not agree with the radical centrists but Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, in my humble opinion, are great leaders that I will sorely miss. They may have done mistakes but they have done enough good for me to remember them. This is an end of an era.
Goodbye, Mr. Prime Minister.
2 replies on “[1274] Of and thus end the third way era for now”
sigma: The Tories were so annihilated, they beat Labour consistently in opinion polls? Heck, the Tories would have won last general elections (or at least significantly reduced Labour’s majority) if not for runaway gerrymandering.
Hear hear. I agree with you. As a Third Wayer, I will miss that era even more I think. Blair and Clinton has shown the way forward for centre-left wing parties.
Of course Blair made a colossus mistake in Iraq, but like you, and unlike the majority of the rabid single tracked British media, I feel that his domestic accomplishments (improving public service, deregulation of the economy, liberalising social issues, and annihilating the Tories :P) tips the scale towards him being a ‘successful’ leader for me. Plus he’s natural charisma is will be missed. Australians are suffering here from John Howard’s total lack of charisma and inspiration.
Good luck Blair! Long live the Third Way!