It's weird, as a Labour Party member of 23 years standing, I ought to be blogging more about the change of Leadership.
We have a new Leader. To no great surprise, it is Gordon Brown. We also have a new Deputy Leader, Harriet Harman, who was my second choice, so I am pleased.
Changes in Party Leadership are rare enough, changes in Prime Minister rarer still. Although I have slight memories of the 74 Elections and when Wilson changed to Callaghan, my first real memory, when I first paid active notice was in 1979, when I was in top juniors at school, and Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. For two seconds I was pleased at the break through for a woman; my two seconds of inappropriately feminist delight did not eradicate my disgust at the political result.
1990 was a spectator sport of the most delightful nature, enhanced by the fact that I happened to be on study leave at the time.
1997 was unforgettable and a wonderful wonderful experience and memory.
And now, we are about to get the fourth Prime Minister of my adult life, and I am not sure what to say.
I have been meaning to write an assessment of ten years of Blair in government. So much good done, so much achieved, so many mistakes made, so many opportunities missed. But then, I think, everybody else is writing assessments, what new can I add? And over everything hangs the spectre of one word, four small letters - Iraq.
Everything that Tony Blair has achieved - and it is considerable - will be overshadowed by the debacle in Iraq. Watching The final episode of Andrew Marr's incomparable sterling programme on post-war British history, I can only concur with the conclusion that it was the single biggest mistake made by any British Government in 60 years. I believe that Gordon Brown would not have made the same mistake. However, he did vote for it. Unlike Robin Cook and John Denham, he did not resign as a matter of principle. He simply did his Macavity impression, conveniently helped to some extent by Budget Purdah. And I am not wholly convinced that if, presented with the same Foreign Office briefings that Tony was presented with, he would not have made the same misguided mistake. foget the opposition parties. The Tories seek to make political capital out of Iraq, ignoring the fact that support for the war was their official policy; those front benchers who opposed it were obliged to resign. Forget the LibDims even more. Their opportunism in catching part of the public mood in initial opposition was matched only by their cynicism in embracing the tabloid-set unthinking agenda of 'Support Our Boys Under Fire'. In any case each of the three main political parties were divided at Parliamentary and grassroots level.
Perhaps one day I shall write my assessment of the Blair Years. I think it is too soon to tell, yet. Ultimately, in a democracy, we have to select a government, and it is unlikely we will find one that is a perfect match. I know for sure that if the past ten years had been spent under the Tories, it would have been a disaster for Britain.
But say what you like about Gordon Brown, he is a gift for those of the "I Know A Song About That" tendency. For years we have sniggered at the Stranglers' almost eponymous song. Yesterday the BBC News were obviously playing that game with their repeated references to "Son of a Preacher". And unwittingly above, I made a reference to TS Eliot's wonderful poem, immortalised in tune by ALW. I'd YouTube but I'm feeling very anti-YouTube right now.
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