This Wednesday sees the publication of Tony Blair’s memoirs. Apparently they have taken three years to write which is understandable given that the man was prime minister for 10 years. Amongst prime ministers assuming office in the twentieth century, only Margaret Thatcher’s term of office was longer.
The Labour Party must have mixed feelings about the publication of this book. It chronicles the experiences of their most electorally successful leader. No other Labour leader has led his party to three successive General Election wins. On the other hand, a carefully crafted work of this prominence has the potential to damage individual reputations and overall political prospects.
With the Conservatives winning and Labour losing the 1992 General Election, Tony Blair had a window of opportunity to lead the removal of Clause IV from the Labour Party constitution. This contained a dogmatic aim, “To secure for the workers by hand or by brain ………. the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange ……….” Having the time to do this was decisive in restoring the leading position of Labour’s social democrats relative to its socialists. New Labour was born as we were incessantly reminded at the time.
In the run-up to the publication of the memoirs, we have seen more supposedly shocking revelations about the relationship between the then Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer. We suspected or knew all along and there is much anticipation of the truth being laid bare in the book.
This is all very disturbing and we should be concerned at how a difficult relationship at the top of government might affect our country and its citizens. We had two men, each very successful in their own way. One man became prime minister for ten years and the other for three years. I have to wonder if it is possible for somebody to want a position so much and for so long that the ambition becomes self-serving. Wanting to be prime minister because of an alleged deal on the subject can surely become all-consuming. There is the risk of forgetting why you want something beyond the pure ambition itself.
It is often said that leaders occupy a lonely position and that must surely have been the case with ten years at the top. The period after 2007 will have given useful time for reflection and the production of memoirs that hopefully provide learning opportunities. We should have the ability to learn from history and particularly from our mistakes.
I hope that the memoirs do concede error where this has occurred but public comment does not so far bode well for one of the most controversial decisions, namely the invasion ofIraq. Attacking another country with faulty reasoning and causing so much loss of life seems like a rather big mistake to make but will it ever be acknowledged as such?
Councillor Bob Lanzer, Leader of Crawley Borough Council
1st September 2010