Blair: Man of Density

Am I really nostalgic for Ted Heath?

So, let me get this right in my head. When we all protested against the war in Iraq we were told to stop being muddle-headed appeasers and Blair gave us a lecture on 'the politics of principle'. Sticking by your guns (or, as in this case, cluster bombs). Making the unpopular decision but, Goddamn it, seeing it through because, so help me God, it is the RIGHT THING TO DO.

I remember feeling impressed by Blair's passion and conviction, even if I was fairly sure he was wrong on this one, and I felt there was chance that the WMD thing was an exaggeration. Still, you had to admire the guy's pluck.

I was equally impressed by his opposition to a referendum on the new European Constitution. How brave, I thought, to stand up for parliamentary democracy. Here was some consistency at least: he was the first PM to allow a parliamentary vote on going to war on Iraq (he did not need to do this as a PM can declare war by wielding the monarch's prerogative, which is daft, but there you go), and here he was once again beefing up the status of our elected representative body. Of course there should be no vote on the constitution, this is a complex treaty with 24 other states, and not a simple 'yes' or 'no' option.

But then the Rothermere and Murdoch press got involved, and all of a sudden Blair is now making the 'brave and principled' decision to do a giant U-turn (without consulting with Cabinet, let alone his party), and hold the blasted referendum.

I suppose he is banking on the idea that the British people would not be so daft as to vote in a manner which could precipitate our withdrawal from the EU, and the economic misery and inevitable decline which would follow.

Yeah, right.

Posted: Tue - April 20, 2004 at 02:33 PM