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.