Blair’s legacy
All this background chatter means it’s almost time to get the bunting scrubbed up for Blair’s departure. As part of those preparations, over the next couple of weeks Chris and I are conducting a little experiment. We need your help: that’s all the readers and contributors here, including and especially those of you who don’t usually comment.
The first part of the task is this: leave in the comments field below anything you think could reasonably be called an achievement of the Blair government. Try to leave partisan feelings to one side. For example, even a proper Tory should be able to see that “bringing a measure of self-rule to Scotland” would count, as would “bringing nurses’ pay into line with the rest of humanity”, and so on. Just this once, we’re not looking for an argument. Only a long list of what you imagine a moderate Blairite might mention in some post-premiership analysis of the Great One’s legacy.
I’ll start you off:
* helped bring peace to Sierra Leone
* laid down society’s marker with the Minimum Wage
* ended Tory appeasement of Milosevic
* opened up government with the Freedom of Information Act
* cut poverty among the elderly via the Pension Credit.
Extra points for using participles instead of proper verbs, obviously. Right, take it away, you’ll be doing humankind a favour, I promise, and all will eventually be revealed.
Made the Tories almost seem like a viable option? That’s the major one, surely? (But something tells me not what you’re looking for…)
Slightly more sensibly:
Made a move towards a judiciary that is at least partially independent from the legislature through creating the supreme court – even though that hasn’t come in yet, will probably be a costly disaster, and is unlikely to have the independence from the executive that it should
Made a move towards Lords reform – even if they don’t know in what direction they’re heading and the current set-up is even worse than what they had before
Gave the Bank of England independence – although being economically illiterate I still don’t quite get why this is a good thing
Gave London an elected Mayor – even if the office hasn’t got enough powers to achieve anything much other than raise my council tax
For better or for worse, massively increased Britain’s profile on the world stage following the lull in international recognition after the departure of Thatcher
The Human Rights Act. Not that they’d mention it now, of course.
Windfall tax on the privatised utilities to pay for the New Deal, which I think was vaguely successful.
Capital investment, if through some bizarre accounting fiddle putting said investment in hock to the private sector, in the public sector after period of under-investment.
Preventing Northern Ireland falling back into political violence, if not quite bringing it to full-scale devolution.
I’ll second the Human Rights Act and FOIA.
Helped build support for proportional representation (by once again showing the blatant unfairness of FPP)?
Although millions have been wasted on feckless reforms, failed IT projects, at least some of the money ploughed into health & education has gone to frontline services and improving teachers’ & nurses’ salaries.
A (reasonably) stable and steadily growing economy (though some credit must be given to the Tories).
Equalising the age of consent for homosexuals and stricter laws against age discrimination.
Better provision of childcare for under-fives (ugh, I sound like Polly Toynbee now…)
Reduction of VAT on fuel for pensioners – not to zero, alas.
Since I’ve been given the brand…
Some slightly partisan ones first:
Domesticated the British Left – forced it to accept, for the most part, the Thatcher legacy. No serious politician will ever try to restore the Butskellite consensus now.
Unintentionally, settling the question of further integration into the EU – it isn’t happening.
Hopefully less partisan ones:
Agreed with Rob about capital investment. The public sector capital stock was historically poor in this country, and this has been addressed, however imperfectly.
Agreed with NM about Bank independence, although this was a natural conclusion of the drift of policy since at least 1992 and in many ways since 1979.
Implemented a Minimum Wage sensibly. Economically I don’t think it has much in the way of net benefits (good for some, bad for others) but, politically and culturally, it’s good for legitimating the capitalist economy we’re pretty much stuck with.
Tested to destruction the theory that the only problem with the public sector was insufficient funding. It was a problem, but no more than that.
Following from the post, allowing public sector pay to rise rather than using it as a (bone-headed) method to restrain public spending. Good for the workers, certainly; but also much better for good delivery.
NHS Direct. Not always the best service (ahem), but conceptually a good thing.
Thought and acted seriously about post-Cold War foreign and defence policy. Some of us (not me) might wholly dislike the direction, but at least the Government didn’t carry on as if it was still 1991. This started with Kosovo and Sierre Leone, then Afghanistan and then Iraq. As NM points out, our profile on ther world stage hasn’t been this high for a very long time.
Started building roads again.
Made incremental, but substantial, improvements in the delivery records of some public services.
And no, not “self-rule for Scotland.” If they’d have made it financially autonomous, and had legislated it in a way that didn’t create new constitutional weirdness in place of old constitutional weirdness, that would probably be a ‘yes’.
In addition to the measure of self-rule to Scotland and keeping the tottering Northern Ireland process from collapsing, the smidgen of self-rule to Wales. Though why Wales didn’t get the same offer as Scotland – a parliament rather than a castrated talking shop – was never explained.
Taking a small step back from rail privatisation by making Network Rail accountable to a minister; the way Stephen Byers set it up so Railtrack investors didn’t get their money back was genius. A far cry from the renationalisation most of us want, but it’s something.
The hunting ban, though it took eight years to make good on the pledge and has left loopholes big enough to drive a pack of hounds through, which indeed is what happens so hunting continues.
Aaargh, I’m not being that supposed moderate Blairite am I? OK.
The Renewables Obligation, requiring electricity suppliers to source a specific and annually increasing percentage of the electricity they supply from renewable sources.
Commissioned a report into the effect of Bush’s ‘global gag’ order cutting all funding to international agencies that offer support to women seeking abortion. When the report told of the unwanted pregnancy and non-medical abortions, the UK was the inaugral donor to the Global Safe Abortion Programme, a fund to specifically replace the lost American money. Not only compassionate and humane, but an anti-US move from the regime called ‘Bush’s poodle’.
Devolution and the Human Rights Act and at least an attempt at Lords reform (though I’d like to see a consolidating and coherent Constitutional Reform Act).
Bank of England independence.
The Economist reckons the recent NHS reforms (linking income to activity) are sensible.
I have failed to find the data, but didn’t working tax credits do something to shift income distribution in a good direction?
oh – and no more boom as bust, of course
Couple here not mentioned:
1. The arrest of General Pinochet and subsequent attempt to extradite him on war crimes charges.
2. The establishment of the inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence, and the subsequent policy changes that occured as result of the Mcpherson report.
Can’t wait for the negatives to start ;-)
Not sure te Pinochet thing was strictly speaking a Blair gov’t thing…but..
Moving Northern Ireland peace talks on after the major government, mildly brave as it was in this, had boxed itself into a corner.
Genuinely Blair’s true (positive) legacy.
Proof positive that Governments should stay well clear of any Project which involves oversight THE DOME
Keeping the only known highly-paid exhibit of a big-mouthed chancer who has categorically proved to the entire Nation that he is at the same time an adulterer, a fool and a liar…Prescott
“Not sure te Pinochet thing was strictly speaking a Blair gov’t thing”
I mean in the sense they could have told Spain where to go, but chose not to and resisted a conservative party campaign for Pinochet’s release.
Managed one self-regarding and one more or less competent EU Presidency.
The election in 1997 provided a lot of the impetus for the Treaty of Amsterdam which was the most “social democratic” of any of the EU Treaties.
Adopted a rather more constructive position, in most areas, in European policy-making than their predecessors.
Does anyone remember the Red Dwarf episode when Kryton tried to call an apple an orange? “It’s an Orrrrrr… it’s no use sir”.
Yes, anyway, I’d say the minimum wage is the the best thing we’ve had from Blair.
Allowing the Bank of England to control interest rates probably did quite a bit to stabilise the economy and put an end to “boom and bust”.
And the extra investment in public services has had more effect than critics sometimes think. Sometimes, I think people are in danger of forgetting how poorly funded schools and hospitals were under the Tories.
Now I feel dirty.
Stability in the economy is sort of an acheivement – as someone else pointed out part of the credit is due to the outgoing Tory administration, and a great deal of credit must go to the Bank of England. Do TB and GB really get credit for standing aside and letting someone else run the show?
Likewise devolution was great in principle, but it’s a bit early to chalk it up as one to the credit side. Until the implications of the botching of the West Lothian question are clear this may turn out to be something of a disaster. (But I see that Blimpish has said this already).
luis enrique, thanks, I missed Working Tax Credits (though it could be argued they’re a Brown rather than Blair achievement).
They top up the wage of the poorly paid, helping huge numbers people out of the poverty trap. They’re not really a tax credit, but I suspect there’d have been outcry if they money had been called ‘Thanks For Not Being On The Dole Allowance’
[The Economist reckons the recent NHS reforms (linking income to activity) are sensible]
although it thought the same thing about them when they were called “fundholding” and “trust hospitals” in the Thatcher years and it turned out, not so much.
D2, yup that’s true. Although not sure what you mean by “and it turned out, not so much” because the Tory reforms were rescinded, weren’t they?
A couple of minor ones that sprang to mind:
24 hour drinking, finally acknowledging that grown ups can decide for themselves, and allowing pubs to decide for themselves whether it’s economically viable to stay open all night – in 99.9% of cases: not even past 11. (This long-overdue acknowledgement of market forces in the boozer business somewhat undermined by enforcing a smoking ban in pubs, however – although doubtless some would claim that as an achievement as well.)
If I recall correctly they’ve also started down the path of scrapping subsidised food throughout the House of Commons.
It has also been on Labour’s watch that MPs’ allowances have been raised – which although it may seem like an extra waste of tax money actually means that they can afford to hire genuinely competent staff rather than relying on unpaid gap year students or massively underpaid semi-volunteers, thus (potentially) raising the quality of service available to constituents.
Planeshift, re Pinochet. I can see where you’re coming from with that.
I guess the truly remarkable thing in the whole affair was to see this administration not fiddling/interfering or even legislating needlessly.
Perhaps their finest hour after all!
I agree with Nosemonkey – allowing people to buy a pint after 11pm was a long-overdue reform.
Low interets rates, low unemployment and low inflation, all at the same time. I was told by my A-level economics teacher in the 1980s that such a thing would be almost impossible.
Getting rid of the hereditary peers. This has started a process of Lords reform which is bound to be completed sooner or later. Even Tories talk about an elected upper chamber now.
The major hospital building programme – PFI remains controversial (though, if you ask me, for the wrong reasons), but before Blair there was decades of underinvestment in the NHS estate and if you’ve been to one of those ageing Victorian hospitals it really makes you appreciate the fact that they’ve got stuff off the ground.
The same is theoretically happening in schools, though that’s not nearly so far along.
Helping push for the expansion of the EU to the east.
Reducing poverty among the elderly and children.
You could say “removing Saddam”, but you’d get worms everywhere.
There is also a “tone” issue – I think the Blair government has changed the political culture to the extent that not investing in public services is not seen as an option in the way it was in the eighties. This is another one of those things where opinions about whether it’s a good or a bad thing are going to differ, but I think it’s happened.
But what have the Romans ever done for us? etc.
Um. At least some attempts to engage with the crapness of rape trials and the Sexual Offences Act.
Gay partnerships. Very civilised and long over due. Repealing Section 28.
Thing is, I suspect quite strongly that the moment we next have a Tory government a large chunk of the British left will suddenly go, “Oh, _that’s_ what Labour did for us” – because it’ll suddenly be obvious that they’re no longer doing it.
Don’t get me wrong – it doesn’t excuse the authoritarianism, the wars etc; and there are missed opportunities by the dozen.
But people have short memories – and everyone’s so sick of this lot that it’s become almost impossible to think of them as anything but useless. I think a shift back to the blue corner would come as a shock.
Erm … the Human Rights Act? They’ve just announced that they’re planning to junk it!
Though they have joined the International Criminal Court. Unlike the US who evidently don’t think crimes against humanity are that important.
Making me agree with the Tories, the judiciary and generals in the army (all about how poor the government is).
Making the House of Lords seems like an absolute necessity for keeping the Commons in check.
Getting Gordon Brown to support England in the World Cup.
Getting Jack McConnell to support anyone but England in the World Cup. (Oh no, he’s Scottish, that doesn’t count.)
Foisting an unnecessary parliament on Scotland (but it is a lovely, if costly, building).
Serial offenders in cabinet (Mandelson, Blunkett, oh there must be more).
Sorry, just reading the words Tony Blair makes me become all cynical.
Steve – allowing people to buy a pint after 11pm was a long-overdue reform – we had that in Sctoland since the early 80s!
Having read through all the comments, it has put me in a slightly less cynical mmod.
So Bank of England independence is good (though should that go to Gordon?).
Fundamentally, devolution must be a good idea – although the powers given to the London and Welsh assemblies seem pretty minimal.
Human Rights Act a good thing.
Lords Reform – if only they had gone the whole hog and created something worthwhile, rather than a chamber of appointed grandees. (I do think the Lords have done a lot of decent things, and have been absolutely necessary during Blair’s rule).
Teachers’ and nurses’ pay.
Getting so many people into tertiary education – though without the infrastructure to support it, it may well backfire.
Human Rights.
Getting elected. No seriously, the 1997 delivered a new generation of women, one disabled woman, and wasn’t the House a little more ethnically diverse as well? Pity that they didn’t really follow through.
I think the minimum wage too.
I’m sorry to say, and I know this is tiresome, but I really disagree about devolution. The Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly (and why did they need different names?) are expensive to run, they’ve divided the country as Tam Dalyell predicted with the “West Lothian question” — the English now resent Scots MPs. And this is a bad thing; there are lots of MPs voting for bills which don’t affect them. Scots MPs could vote for a 6pm curfew, and go home to their constituencies and party all night. (OK, that’s an extreme example.) That’s wrong. The devolved bodies are not more democratic: turnout is much too low (below 50%) for them to be properly accountable. Devolution is a disaster.
General Stability.
Obviously this partly leads from the economic growth but I think it’s braoder than that. life in these isls has generally been not too strenous in these isles since ’97.
I think we perhaps take these things for granted given that the united Kindom generally has a stablity in it’s domestic affairs, that the French say would find abhorent, but people have by and large been able to get on with their lives without facing any great upheaval.
There’s something to be said for that.
And if we, a few years down the line, face a hideous economic crash, a upsurge in extremist politics and the like, many may look back on the Blair years with considerable fondness.
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Jonn: everyone’s so sick of this lot that it’s become almost impossible to think of them as anything but useless. I think a shift back to the blue corner would come as a shock.
True, but I think the country’s left dominance is now apparent. One thing the authoritarianism has acheived is the much heralded realignment. Labour is centre-left/authoritarian, Tories are now centre-right liberal, with LibDems stuck trying to be centre-liberal, but actually needing to be left-liberal.
Although the media is slow to catch up, politics has shifted. The economic centre ground has become the norm, the Tories can’t threaten stupidities in the way they got away with before, the “public services” debate has been won in many ways.
OK, other things that have been missed. Um… New Deal. Prompted dropouts and similar back into education and training. One of the New Dealers on my Access course is now a lawyer. Made teaching an almost attractive proposition as a job. Almost. They keep messing things around (Kelly was loathed by all accounts), but overall teaching isn’t a “I’ve got no other options” career for those that weren’t really committed to it anymore.
They’ve managed to rebalance politics in such a way that the Tories (or at least enough of them to make it count) have adjusted to modern reality. Even this time last year, they were “the enemy”, now they’re not. LAbour has forced that upon them. Given that any democratic system really does need the renewal of a change of Govt evey so often, that’s also a (negative) acheivement.
They’ve actually changed the face of politics. Anyway, enough rambling.
“Victory over Saddam Hussein !
(extra point for no verb please)
Pissing all over Old Labour – repeatedly.
Free entry into state museums. I could equivocate about this, even, but it’s an act of pure generosity and wisdom in comparison with some of the other stupefying decisions that have been foisted upon us.
Reintroduction of more apprenticeships.
Did not close the grammar schools.
Bringing back entry qualifications for more secondary schools, albeit with much doublespeak about ther nature of the beast.
Higher levels of achievement by school leavers – though much of this may be because the exams are easier.
Higher numbers in tertiary education.
Introduced university fees – not a Labour thing at all and it may not be wholly good.
None of the above is wholly good and many could be restated as negatives, eg static/rising levels of illiteracy at all levels.
But it’s the best I can do.
Two shags Prezza used to have a card to remind him of achievements at the hustings. There must be some of these around.
Ethical foreign policy – or did that die with Iraq?
Forgiveness of third world debt and persuasion of other governments to join in.
Acceptance of more asylum seekers than any other country – that might have to be qualified as any other European country. This is not high on the Daily Mail list.
Acceptance of more illegal immigrants than any other European country – may not be government policy but it follows directly from their (in)actions. This is a good thing because … make up your own reasons.
Things not mentioned already;
Banned handguns. Number of gun deaths has halved. (The rise in gun crime is due to use of legal weapons such as immitation, converted, paint guns, airguns etc).
Record rise in state pensions.
Free TV licences for over 75s.
Winter fuel payments, £200-£300.
Free bus travel to over 60s.
Cleanest rivers, beaches and drinking water since the industrial revolution. (although EU should be given credit for this as well).
No more NHS winter crises.
Banned fur farming and testing of cosmetics on animals.
Stopped ban on gays in military and equalised laws on adoption etc.
Outlawed race discrimination in public functions.
Smoke free pubs from next year (yippee!).
Record number of students in education.
Banned anti-personnel mines.
Sure Start (will take many years to see benefits from this).
All workers now have a right to at least 4 weeks paid holiday.
Over 2 million lifted out of poverty.
Brought back matrons in hospital wards.
Reduced National Debt.
Reduced VAT on fuel from 8% to 5%.
Youth unemployment no longer the issue it was and crime rates have fallen as a result.
Restrictions on tobacco advertising.
Encouragement of recycling of waste which has gone up from 7% to over 20%.
ASBOs
Massive investment in transport.
Blair can’t be given credit for Ken Livingstone, but the introduction of the congestion charge and the massive improvements in public transport in London have significantly improved quality of life there, more bus use, better air quality, improved race relations and has significantly reduced carbon emissions in the city.
I’m sure there are lots of things I have forgotten.
No seriously, the 1997 delivered a new generation of women, one disabled woman, and wasn’t the House a little more ethnically diverse as well? Pity that they didn’t really follow through.
And this is intrinsically a good thing — why?
I’ll go with Bank of England independence and, to an extent, the minimum wage (even though that is screwing the theatre I work for, but that is the student union’s fault rather than the government’s).
DK
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I’ve come to this late via part 2 and I haven’t got anything particular to add except to suggest that in order to count as legacy an achievement should be likely to continue under the next Tory government. Minimum wage – Yes, Foxhunting ban – No.