British Prime Minister Tony Blair steps down
June 27th after a decade in power during which he re-energized his Labor Party,
embarked on an interventionist foreign policy and forged ever-closer ties with
the United States. But, as Mr. Blair hands over the reins of power one damaging
decision follows him out of office, his unfailing support for the war in Iraq.
VOA's Sonja Pace takes a look at the Blair legacy in this report from
London.
He burst onto the political stage - 43 years old - charismatic, smiling,
articulate and full of energy to take Britain into the 21st Century.
After a sweeping election victory in 1997, Tony Blair promised a new
direction.
"You, the British people have given us the chance to serve you," said Mr.
Blair. "You have put your trust in us and we say to you - we shall repay that
trust for you. We govern for you."
He promised to revitalize the country with a dynamic, efficient approach more
in tune with the new global economy. He vowed more effective social programs and
brought a new, relaxed style to Number 10 Downing Street.
But, it wasn't just style and an ability to connect with average people that
made Tony Blair popular. Blair biographer Anthony Seldon says it was also plain
political skill.
"He won more elections than any other Labor prime minister, he changed the
face of the Labor Party, he produced peace in Northern Ireland after many years
of fighting," he noted.
The Northern Ireland peace process of 1998 came to fruition less than two
months ago with the formation of a unity Catholic-Protestant government for the
province. Mr. Blair was in Belfast to clinch the deal.
"Northern Ireland was synonymous with conflict," he said. "People felt that
it could not be done, indeed sometimes that it even should not be done, that the
compromises involved were too ugly. Yet in the end, it was done and this holds a
lesson for conflict everywhere."
Dealing with conflicts near and abroad became a cornerstone of Mr. Blair's
interventionist foreign policy. In 1999 - he argued forcefully for the
international community to intervene in Kosovo. And, Britain's military
intervention in the West African nation of Sierra Leone in 2000 is credited with
helping bring to an end a brutal civil war there.
Mr. Blair won a landslide second term in office in 2001, but then the world
changed on September 11.
"The full horror of what has happened in the United States earlier today is
now becoming clearer," he said. "It is hard even to contemplate the utter
carnage and terror which has engulfed so many innocent people."
Mr. Blair stood with U.S. President George Bush, forging ever-closer ties
between London and Washington. He was instrumental
in making the case for action against al-Qaida in Afghanistan
and went along willingly into Iraq.
"Oh, he was completely willing," added Anthony Seldon. "He was convinced that
British interests would best be served by getting right up close to the White
House, working very closely with the president, seeing him often, having weekly
conferences on video with the president and that this would best exert British
influence."
While Mr. Blair is widely credited with having tempered the Bush
administration's go-it-alone approach in the early preparations for Iraq, he has
been harshly criticized for not being able to influence how the war and the
aftermath were handled.
Michael Brown, former conservative member of parliament and now political
columnist for the Independent newspaper, tells VOA, Iraq was Tony Blair's
biggest mistake.
"His enduring legacy, in terms of British public life, will, I'm afraid be
Iraq," he noted. "Iraq will be engraved on Tony Blair's political tombstone when
the history books of his premiership are written."
Iraq took its toll on Mr. Blair's popularity and still - he won a third term
in office in 2005, even though the Labor party took a beating. Then in July
terrorist attacks on London's transport system claimed the lives of 52
commuters.
Speculation was rife that Tony Blair would not last to the
next election scheduled for 2010. That speculation proved correct.
"Today, I announce my decision to step down from the leadership of the Labor
Party," he said. "Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right. I may have been
wrong, but believe one thing if nothing else, I did what I thought was right for
our country."
It is too early to tell how Tony Blair will eventually be remembered, but for
now Iraq casts a long shadow over his legacy.
instrumental :serving as a means or an
agency; implemental(有幫助的)
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(來源:VOA 英語點津姍姍編輯)