Tony Blair: Difference between revisions
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==Resignation announcement== | ==Resignation announcement== | ||
10th May [[2007]] marked the official announcement of the end of Blair's premiership, with a departure date set for the following 27th June.<ref>''[[BBC]] News'': [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6639945.stm Blair will stand down on 27 June]'.</ref> In a speech made in the [[Sedgefield]] [[constituency]] he represents in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|British parliament]], Blair announced a timetable for leaving office, paving the way for his successor after over ten years of power. In words that emphasised his domestic record more than his international influence, Blair credited his [[government]] with lowering [[crime]], stabilising the [[economy]] and improving public services; he also emphasised that it had placed the UK at the forefront of fighting [[terrorism]], tackling [[climate change]] and providing [[aid]] to troubled regions such as [[Africa]]. Often accused of having a fervently [[religious]] approach to wider issues,<ref>Blair referred to this in his Sedgefield speech as a "[[Messiah|Messianic]] zeal", a characteristic he clearly rejected.</ref> he also remained committed to | 10th May [[2007]] marked the official announcement of the end of Blair's premiership, with a departure date set for the following 27th June.<ref>''[[BBC]] News'': [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6639945.stm Blair will stand down on 27 June]'.</ref> In a speech made in the [[Sedgefield]] [[constituency]] he represents in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|British parliament]], Blair announced a timetable for leaving office, paving the way for his successor after over ten years of power. In words that emphasised his domestic record more than his international influence, Blair credited his [[government]] with lowering [[crime]], stabilising the [[economy]] and improving public services; he also emphasised that it had placed the UK at the forefront of fighting [[terrorism]], tackling [[climate change]] and providing [[aid]] to troubled regions such as [[Africa]]. Often accused of having a fervently [[religious]] approach to wider issues,<ref>Blair referred to this in his Sedgefield speech as a "[[Messiah|Messianic]] zeal", a characteristic he clearly rejected.</ref> he also remained committed to the view that time would see his decision-making vindicated: | ||
<blockquote>''I did what I thought was right. I may have been wrong, that's your call, but I did what I thought was right for our country.''</blockquote> | |||
An apology for his most-criticised activities was unforthcoming. In concluding, however, Blair admitted that he had made unspecified mistakes: | |||
<blockquote>''My apologies to you for the times I've fallen short. But good luck.''</blockquote> | |||
==Footnotes== | ==Footnotes== | ||
Revision as of 05:48, 10 May 2007
Tony Blair (born 6th May 1953), as prime minister of the United Kingdom, perhaps earned a reputation as one of the most controversial holders of Britain's highest political office. Internationally, he is best known for supporting a much-opposed U.S.-led war in Iraq, the repercussions of which are ongoing in the Middle East and the wider world; domestically, his legacy included the abolition of socialism as the fundamental tenet of his ('New') Labour Party, and the introduction of the private sector into British health and education.
Resignation announcement
10th May 2007 marked the official announcement of the end of Blair's premiership, with a departure date set for the following 27th June.[1] In a speech made in the Sedgefield constituency he represents in the British parliament, Blair announced a timetable for leaving office, paving the way for his successor after over ten years of power. In words that emphasised his domestic record more than his international influence, Blair credited his government with lowering crime, stabilising the economy and improving public services; he also emphasised that it had placed the UK at the forefront of fighting terrorism, tackling climate change and providing aid to troubled regions such as Africa. Often accused of having a fervently religious approach to wider issues,[2] he also remained committed to the view that time would see his decision-making vindicated:
I did what I thought was right. I may have been wrong, that's your call, but I did what I thought was right for our country.
An apology for his most-criticised activities was unforthcoming. In concluding, however, Blair admitted that he had made unspecified mistakes:
My apologies to you for the times I've fallen short. But good luck.
Footnotes
- ↑ BBC News: Blair will stand down on 27 June'.
- ↑ Blair referred to this in his Sedgefield speech as a "Messianic zeal", a characteristic he clearly rejected.