This has been Tony Blair’s last week as Prime Minister and the mood around the House of Commons is one of sadness mixed with relief.  I am sure Tony Blair will be genuinely missed as Prime Minister by many in his Party whilst those in opposition and much of the rest of the country are alarmed at what lies ahead with his successor Gordon Brown.

In his ten years in office Blair has always made it clear that he wanted to leave a positive legacy for the country.  Yet his time in office has left so much undone.  There remain major concerns with tax levels, pensions, the NHS and Iraq.  Perhaps one of the most surprising and alarming issues is that young people today have less opportunity and social mobility than before Labour came to power.

When I was growing up, children from less well-off backgrounds were able to work hard and climb the ladder out of poverty but sadly this no longer appears to be the case.  Well-intentioned ideas such as tax credits - aimed to lift the poorest families out of poverty – all too often act as a disincentive to getting back into the workplace, not to mention the shocking number of incorrect payments which have brought hardship and uncertainty to so many families.

We will have to wait to see the true legacy of Blair’s time as Prime Minister.  In the meantime, we anxiously wait to see what Gordon Brown has in store for us.  What will it be?  A land of opportunity or a vortex of gloom.