The End Of An Era!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tony Blair's announcement of his resignation as British PM signals the end of an era in British and global politics. It was a well choreographed exit. All of Britain and the world knew it was coming. His emotional,frank and conviction filled announcement just summed up the personality he was.Blair was the youngest PM Britain had elected to power since Lord Liverpool in 1812. He also was the first British PM to become a (legitimate) father while still in office in over 150 years,since Lord John Russell in 1849.

Blair was a wonderful,dynamic speaker responsible for transforming the Labour party fortunes and had the ability and zest to convince people about the efficacy of any 'cause' he believed in. He revived an almost dead Labour Party and transformed it in an amazing manner. His youthful exuberance,passion,dedication and determination was there for everyone to see. Great Britain had been under the grip of Conservative rule since 1979. Britain had grown weary of the 'Thatcherite' legacy by the mid 90's. But Blair always knew that 'Old Labour' had to make way for the new one. He believed that the Labour Party had to adopt and adjust to the new domestic and global realities, if it wanted to be a relevant force in British politics. He zestfully went about trying to convince the Labour Party workers about the need for change and reform. His persuasive oratory skills won the hearts and minds of majority of the Labour Party and he was appointed its leader in 1994. His landslide election triumph in 1997 proved that Britain also wanted change and in Tony Blair, they found a young,modern and energetic PM who was very committed to reform and abolition of the 'rigid, old' social, economic and political order in Britain.

The British economy did fairly well during his tenure in which he introduced controversial market based reforms.There was opposition from the 'old guard' within his own party who accused him of being more conservative than the Conservative Party itself. He was responsible for bringing Labour from the left to the centre of British politics. He believed that was an essential constituent of Labour's transformation and adjustment which he was trying to bring about. Old fashioned, rigid socialism was not the answer,Blair stated. Socialism which was in sync with modern times and which was flexible enough to adjust to global ground realities was what Britain and the Labour Party needed, according to Blair, and he went about trying to do that, with some success in the initial many months of his Prime Ministership.

Constitutional reforms such as devolution in Scotland and Wales were initiated by him.That was an absolutely dangerous political territory for any British PM to tread on,but he did with a sense of pragmatism and balance. He always believed in the oneness and unity of Great Britain. But he was also aware of the fact that many Scottish and Welsh people were desirous of freeing themselves from the shackles of London rule. So,he thought the best way of pacifying and assuaging their feelings would be by giving the Scots and the Welsh 'autonomy'. That was a very bold decision to take, but a decision which earned him praise from many quarters, including from pro-independence Scots, who said his clever and pragmatic manoeuvring had resulted in satisfying many Scots. He also took keen interest in establishing peace in strife-torn Northern Ireland. That was one of his pet-projects. Northern Ireland had been synonymous with conflict and violence since the late 60's and many innocent lives had been needlessly lost. Sectarian strife between the Catholics and Protestants was horribly high. Neither could stand the sight of each other. Most Catholics wanted separation from Great Britain and unification with Ireland. They cherished that dream. On the other hand,most Protestants favoured a continued association with Britain. It was perceived to be one of the most intractable conflicts,where neither side was willing to compromise in the interest of peace. The Unionists were as adamant as ever, demanding that the military wing of the Republicans be disbanded completely under adequate supervision. The Republicans continued to ask for compromises from the Unionists' side and were hesitant to disarm and disband under the supervision of any party. But Blair was adamant in his desire for peace and prosperity to return back to N Ireland and he worked tirelessly to promote that desire of his. He knew that the process would take a long time to succeed and hence, was patient. But he always stressed on the need for diplomacy to talk rather than guns. And after overcoming many pitfalls in the process, finally the peace process made headway and on May 8,2007, Reverend Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party took up office as the First Minister Of Northern Ireland as part of a devolved government(dyarchy).

Blair always advocated an assertive and pro-active Britain. He wanted Britain to become more of a player in international affairs.He contributed to peace in Kosovo by sending in British troops there to stabilise the strife-torn country. Civil war between the ethnic majority Albanians demanding independence and the minority Serbs had erupted in Kosovo and people on both sides were losing lives needlessly. Belgrade then stepped in by sending troops there which only worsened matters, hastening international intervention. Blair's pro-active role in resolving the Kosovo crisis earned him much praise from the international community and even in Britain. Blair always maintained that Britain had to be there in areas of conflict, to liberate the oppressed and the suffering. He stated that international intervention 'liberated' Kosovo.Then, the turning point in Blair's political career came when 9/11 happened. That changed the world in a big way. Blair before 9/11 was a very close ally of Clinton. He always stressed that Britain had to maintain close relations with the US. Their relationship was essential in spreading democracy and enlightenment in those parts of the world where 'darkness' existed. His loyalty to the Clinton administration was unflinching. Bush with his Texan swagger came to power and one expected British-US relations to cool off. 9/11 changed that. His visit to America in the wake of 9/11 and his support of American values won him the hearts and minds of many Americans. Again,when it came to supporting American foreign policy with regard to Afghanistan, he was there,on America's side.He sent British troops to liberate that war ravaged nation which was under the grip of terror supporting Taliban. It was a strategically accurate and morally noble war which resulted in success. His popularity was at an all time high. But all good things come to an end. The badly messed up Iraq war and 'incorrect intelligence' (sexing up of the intelligence) related to WMD's will always haunt him in the future. His valiant but unconvincing defence of himself really lowered his public image .British public started swinging against him. There were protests against the war.He was accused of being an American poodle. But his loyalty to American foreign policy and Bush remained unquestionable. He believed that Britain needed to work with America on various matters rather than criticise it from the outside. Still,in spite of all this, Labour won the 2005 general election albeit with a reduced mandate. He was elected for a third term as British PM,a record for a Labour politician. But controversies continued to hound him, most notably the 'Cash For Peerages' scandal. But in the midst of all this, he was involved in several notable projects. For example, his focus and admirable zeal on giving aid to help out Africa in poverty and disease reduction. But his resignation announcement was widely expected and it came on May 10,2006 when he stated that he would not be staying in office after June 27,2006.His unflinching conviction in any mission close to his heart, however, was an integral part of his personality. His firm belief that Britain's interests would be taken care of by maintaining a friendly relationship with the USA was a case in point. In spite of being at the receiving end of harsh and vicious criticism, he stood firmly on his belief. Under his tenure, Britain's relations with India also received a huge boost.

And finally,he has resigned at an age when most Indian politicians start undergoing political training...........He definitely will leave behind an interesting legacy that can be described as bitter-sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!