Tony Blair. War criminal,yes or no ?

[dazzer6666]

The truth is you have no way of knowing, so there's very little point arguing about it. Personally I think people will look back at the huge success of the Labour Government under his premiership. Iraq or not he remains the only person to lead the Labour party to three consecutive general election victories. That's his legacy, every bit as much as Iraq.

Blair transformed Britain forever. Same sex-marriage, new maternity rights, the Equalities Act, adoption leave, new schools, a new hospitals programme, new builds getting access to brownfield sites, surestart... he also played a major role ending a centuriues-old conflict in Northern Ireland. Now I'm not saying the guy was the second-coming, clearly he had his faults, but I'm so bored of reading about "B.Liar" and his depiction of the devil incarnate - don't forget he was democratically elected as our Prime Minister even after the Iraq invasion. So if you want to talk about it, talk about it - but please let's leave the lazy charactuer-driven bullshit to one side. Isn't discussing a flawed human being infinitely more interesting?

Iraq was a total, unmitigated disaster. There's no doubt about that - but it did bring Iraqi democracy. Is there instability? Yes. Jesus Christ is there. It's awful seeing the news sometimes. And was it caused by Blair and Bush? Partly, yes. The reconstruction and exit plans were disgracefully shortsighted but that doesn't change the fact that the forces behind the Arab Spring, which have torn Syria apart, would have no doubt happened in Iraq if Saddam had stayed in power.

/rant

Would trend to think of this more as huge success of the Labour Party, rather than the Labour Government,. No doubting he did an incredible job to take what was an unelectable rabble and transform it into something that lasted as long as it did with his rebranding. Whether it was a successful government is more debatable........

 

[maltaseagull]

It was certainly criminal for a Labour Prime Minister blindly to follow a NeoCon US President like Dubya into a wholly unjustified invasion.

This.

 

[Biscuit]

Same Sex Marriage was passed in the last parliament (very different to Civil Partnerships)

One of the Con/Lib coalitions most popular moves has been legislation for same-sex marriage and fair play to David Cameron for this. But in 2001 the Tory party supported Section 28, banning the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools. Blair’s repeal of that, and introduction of civil partnerships, paved the way for same-sex marriage. Completely changing the Tory parties stance on it.

 

[Biscuit]

Would trend to think of this more as huge success of the Labour Party, rather than the Labour Government,. No doubting he did an incredible job to take what was an unelectable rabble and transform it into something that lasted as long as it did with his rebranding. Whether it was a successful government is more debatable........

I'll stick with Government. Three back-to-back general election wins is an endorsement of a successful Government. And while their successes are up for debate, there's no doubting that domestically they achieved a great deal.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

One of the Con/Lib coalitions most popular moves has been legislation for same-sex marriage and fair play to David Cameron for this. But in 2001 the Tory party supported Section 28, banning the “promotion” of homosexuality in schools. Blair’s repeal of that, and introduction of civil partnerships, paved the way for same-sex marriage. Completely changing the Tory parties stance on it.

I agree with that, but still DC didn't have to press ahead with changing the law but he did, despite many in his party opposing the bill.

 

[Biscuit]

I agree with that, but still DC didn't have to press ahead with changing the law but he did, despite many in his party opposing the bill.

Agreed, it was the right thing to do.

 

[dazzer6666]

I'll stick with Government. Three back-to-back general election wins is an endorsement of a successful Government. And while their successes are up for debate, there's no doubting that domestically they achieved a great deal.

...and confirmation of what was a pisspoor opposition..........

 

[London Irish]

It's a yes for me, but if you lock him up, you might have to send about 200 other Blairites and front bench Tories with him given they all collaborated in lying to us about that insane war. But the fact that millions got slaughtered directly or indirectly and it helped massively expand Al-Qaeda and then create Isis, people have got life sentences for a lot less

 

[symyjym]

At least he would have a fair trial, unlike Saddam.

 

[Biscuit]

...and confirmation of what was a pisspoor opposition..........

Indeed, but as the old football adage goes, 'you can only beat what's in front of you'.

 

[Hampster Gull]

Great Labour Leader

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

That "one huge foreign policy mistake" will be forever the way he is remembered. Rightly so, I'm sorry to say - up to then he was doing great, but just didn't have the balls to stand up to Bushscum and say "No".

This

 

[vegster]

Probably as much as a war criminal as Bush and Obama and Putin, all have dirty hands but will escape judgement.