POLITICS - UK GOV - TONY BLAIR

what was Blair and Browns backgrounds

• blair middle class, con parents

• Brown working class scot

What deal was made between Blair and Brown

the ‘granita restaurant deal’ involved Blair reportedly promising brown the job of chancellor if he did not run against him for labour leadership

What were Blairs key policy successes in his first term 1997-2001

• constsitutional reform, HRA,HOL reform , devolution

• helped negotiate the good Friday agreement

• economic reform. bank of England independence. fiscal responsibility

what caused tension between blaring and brown nhs

blair made a pledge on tv that within 5 years Britain would increase health spending to the European average

Brown had not agreed to such a policy and was against it

Blair backed down on this pledge and it disappeared from their 2001 mainfesto

what crisises did Blair face in his first term

• in 2000 Britain faced a fuel crisis as activists blockaded refineries over fuel taxes

• blair made concessions to the protestors and froze fuel taxes, bringing and end to the crisis

• also handled foot and mouth crisis

what was a scandal that occurred in his first term

• the head of F1 had donated 1 million to the labour party prior to the election

• when labour introduced bans on tobacco advertisement it excluded formula 1 cars

• this prompted allegations of corruption

• Blair returned the money and public ally apologised

what disaster shaped blairs second term

• 3 months after the 2001 election 9/11 happened

• alqaeda carried out the attack and it was believed members were being harboured in afghanistan

• within a month Blair sent soldier to afghan to remove the taliban

what was blairs biggest controversy

the Iraq war

how did the uk get involved in the war

• blair big supporter of George bush

• he won a commons vote authorizing military action

• 139 labour mps rebelled

what minister resigned over iraq

robin cook resigned over the involvement as the UK failed to get approval from the UN

how did Blair operate with his cabinet

blair often bypassed full cabinet discussions choosing to produce policy and make decisions with a few key ministers

how did Blair control his cabinet over IRAQ

• effective at enforcing collective ministerial responsibility

• only robin cook resigned

• Gordon brown and over ministers were known to be against the war but voted with blair

how did the public react to the war

• the stop the war coalition held the largest protest in UK history, estimated 1 million

what did Blair do to try again public support for the war

• released an intelligence dossier , stating that iraq had WMDS that could threaten Europe

• no WMDs were ever found

• led to perceptions that Blair had lied and knew their were none

what was the aftermath of the Iraq War

• removal of Saddam Hussein led to fallout in Iraq

• fuelled sectsrisn violence and the rise of ISIS

• Clare short resigned over the failure to plan for the aftermath of the war

what were the 7/7 bombings

• terrorist attack in London killing 52 people

• the bombers cited Iraq as their motive

• some say this showed Blair had endangered uk citizens

what did Tony Blair promise in his campaign for a third term + browns place

• if re-elected he would not serve a full term

• blair and brown campaigned together

• brown far more popular , not as tarnished by Iraq, and was credited with the economic succsess

• labours majority fell to 66

when was Blair defeated in parliament

• blair announced plans to expand the time terror suspects could be held without charge

• backbenchers rebelled on this vote , defeating the bill

• this put a significant dent in Blair's power/control

what led to Blair's resignation

• in 2006 a group of brownite junior ministers resigned and sent Blair and open letter calling for his resignation

• blair later stood down in June 2007

• brown succeeded him as party leader

how did Blair have control over his cabinet

• sofa gov style , he made key decisions with a few ministers and presented them as final

• enforcing collective ministerial responsibility over Iraq , brown disagreed yet voted for

when didn't Blair have control over his cabinet

• brown determined economic policy

• brown succeeding him

• resignation of robin cook over iraq

what showed Blair had control over policy

• his new labour ‘third way’ ideology was drastically different from previous labour so implementing these ideas showed he had control

• oversaw devolution to Scotland , wales and NI

• introduced HRA, HOL ref

when did Blair not have control over policy

• forced to back down from his pledge to increase health spending to the European average

• defeated in parliament after backbench rebellions over detention times for terror suspects

when did Blair have control over events

• entering the Iraq and Afghan war , despite large public pushback

• managed to end the fuel tax protests, foot mouth

when did Blair not have control over events

• aftermath of Iraq, rise of ISIS , 7/7 bombings

• brownite ministers resigning and publically calling for his resignation

what enabled Blair to have control

• initial high public support

• landslide majorities esp 97 01

• presidential leadership

• charisma

• sofa politics , Centralising decision making

what caused Blair to lose control

• loss of public trust

• falling parliament majoritys

• robin cook , Clare short resignations

• browns popularity