As someone outside the UK, and who takes a fairly close interest in world affairs, the dim view of Blair exhibited here is in contrast to the generally high regard in which he is held outside the UK - which is, I think, one of the causes for complaint, that he spends too much time messing around on international issues and not enough on domestic issues, isn't it?
To an outsider, Blair comes across as the person responsible for the surge in the UK economy (which may in fact just be the long term pay-off of Thatcher's economics, but lets not say that too loudly in case the rabid old goat hears us), and has presided over a resurgence in positive British nationalism. He's tackling police retirement issue, he's sniffing about the legalisation of pot, and he created parliaments for Scotland and Wales.
And he drinks tea, so he can't be all bad.
Of course, I don't live in England, so I'm not exposed to any Tony-isms on a daily basis. But it doesn't sound that bad (cf. Thather and Major). Certainly not as bad as the xenophobia currently exhibited by the conservatives in my home country (Australia), nor the blatant and shocking oligopolistic cronyism and bend-over-and-drop-pants-to-Beijing attitude we get in politics here in Hong Kong.
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The Society for the Perpetuation of Independent Thoughtwww.robkamphausen.com"
