Cherie has a lot to answer for

HG, Swindon, Wilts

If you consider the mess that is modern day Britain a success then you must have your head in the sand.

We now live in a country where personal freedoms are under constant attack, CCTV surveillance everywhere with the promise of ID cards and car tracking to come. Violent crime rising unchecked, overcrowded prisons. The health service in crisis unable to get to grips with simple cleanliness. Rampant immigration undermining the very identity of the country. The ridiculous policy of devolution which can obviously only lead to Scotland and Wales leaving the union, to the detriment of us all.

The list goes on.

As for Iraq, maybe if a bit of thought had gone into the enterprise then thousands of innocents killed when the country descended into anarchy would still be alive.


Many broken promises made only to gain votes. He has lied to parliament and he has lied to the electorate. Trust in politicians is at an all time low. That is Tony Blairs legacy.

Mark M, Southend on Sea, Essex

Cary from Nashville, the at least he has 1 friend in the world.

Rich, London, UK

Blair made a massive foreign policy blunder in Iraq and set an awful precedent by acting illegally to bring about regime change. This is his legacy and overshadows his otherwise largely successful premiership. The fact that he thought he was doing what was right is the tragedy - he ignored world opinion and in doing so abused his position. The damage will never be entirely undone and the world would have been better off without him. Giving the role of Middle East peace envoy to a man who did this, whatever his skills and (bitter) experience for the job is bizarre.

Richard , Kingston,

I for one believe that Tony Blair's time in Government was over all a success. All though I acknowledge that the reasons for entering Iraq were wrong, in the grand scheme it left the world with one less murderous dicatator, anyone who argues this need only look at the celebrations on the day the Americans toppled the statue of Sadamn in Baghdad in 2003. Tony Blair did what he felt was best for this country. I also think it relevant to point out the other successes in Northern Ireland and Sierra Leone, I think it is very sad that some people tend to focus on the Iraq War and seem to forget everything else this man did for our country and some of the worlds lesser countries.

Henri Cammell, Canterbury, UK

There are doubtless lefty liberals in the UK much like the Democrats here in the USA that have about as much foresight as moles. They don't know when they have a quality leader that does what he believes is right rather than play the "popularity" game. Thank you, Tony Blair!

Richard Suter, Whitehouse, Ohio USA

Most Americans, including myself, have a genuine fondness for Tony Blair, because he supported our troops with British troops, even when support from other countries was virtually non-existent. He didn't have to do that; it was never a popular move in Great Britain. Mr. Blair is clearly a man of conviction who is capable of doing what he thinks is right, even in the face of harsh criticism. Hmmm...reminds me of someone else on this side of the Atlantic. If the situation in Iraq continues to improve towards a functional democracy, and I believe it will, Tony Blair and George Bush will be treated very favorably by historians. God Bless Tony Blair!

Terry Tatum, Bowling Green, Kentucky

I keep thinking how Reagan was hated by the world while he and Margret Thatcher were defeating the communist threat and the world shook with fear that they were going to start a nuclear war. Now Bush is the one that is hated by the world (though recently with France, Canada coming around he is not longer the most hated) that just suggests that he in 8 to 10 years he will be admired by his position on terrorism. I wish is position on immigration was more in tune with the rest of the countries.

Jeff in Miami, Miami Beach, USA/FL

Yeah, Tigger. The same people that voted Winston Churchill out of office after her saved you from becoming a German colony are not speaking up for Blair. Your eveolution/civility has become your downfall and you will all suffer as your liberal policies towards Muslim immigaration continues. Good luck with that. Hopefully you won't lose a family memeber tto these extremists. Blair is a fnatastic human being and the wrold is a better place with him in it. YOur ignorance is astounding.

John, Jacskonvile, Florida

"England is blessed in that there are still men, husbands, providers, leaders of the first order like Tony Blair. Although, I disagree with some of his lefty policies, he appears to be a true patriot who walks the walk for family and country."

My thoughts exactly.

Dan, Houston, Texas

"It is noticeable that the only people speaking up for Bliar are people who are not living in this country with his legacy. Doesn't that tell a story?"

It tells more about the people then this courageously gifted man!

Greg, Sacramento, California/ USA

Blair, Clinton, and Mitchell should have been given the Nobel Peace Prize for what they did for peace in Ireland. It should not have been given to the Irish mothers, Arafat, Kissinger and the leader of the treacherous North Vietnamese, Jimmy Carter, or Al Gore.

Richard L.A. Schaefer, Dubuque, USA/Iowa

If we Yanks used the same scale as you Brits in measuring both success and failure, I guess we really lost by throwing our lot in with Churchill. If you have a spine more stout then chewing gum, and you want to know what victory looks like, cross the chanel and look at France, Germany ect... to see what democracy looks like. Too bad your too wimpy to fight for someone else's freedom and would rather condem millions of people living under a dictators boot. Oh , that's right, you do know about that but it seems you have forgot. What a shame. What a sham. God save the wimps.

Dave Woityra, Troy, USA/MI

I find many of the comments here to be ridiculous. The US, Britain and the Iraqis have achieved an almost impossible success in Iraq. The surge was just the right response to 2006, with violence today way down across the country and political reconciliation between Iraqi Kurds and Shia suddenly very probable. Al Qaeda in Iraq is all but vanquished.

This Iraq engagement will go down in history as a victory for the Anglo-American alliance, as well as a defining moment of change in Middle Eastern thought as we watch the entire region become progressively more democratic and women achieve more liberty. Those who opposed Bush and Blair will be viewed as the short-sighted, impatient ninnies that
they are, while Bush and Blair will be correctly perceived as visionaries. If you cannot see the sea change in the region
as a result of the courage and leadership of Bush and Blair, then you are blind. History will not be so myopic.

Carl Worsham , Coppell,

Tony Blair was an extraordinary PM, he did his best to rebuild Britain after the horrible conservative years. of boom and bust ,the ludicrous Falklands War, huge unemployment ,rioting of the eighties and the disdain shown towards the ethnic minoriies and other groups ,etc. The Iraq war was of course his coup de grace. He was a man with good intentions and much vision, we shall see how history regards him many years from now.We shall also see what the final outcome of the Iraq War will herald.

Antoine, Warsaw, Poland

Jesus Christ could be Prime Minister of Great Britain and most people there would still complain about what a mess he'd made of everything, and that his wife was ugly too.

People will, sooner rather than later, look back on Tony Blair's time in office with great affection and respect, much as they do now for Margaret Thatcher's.

gb, Austin, USA

Hal...Why don't you move to France...Oh wait...They have a pro-American leader now...Canada's out to..There's always Mexico.

Mike, Columbus, Georgia, U.S.A.

To all armchair critics let's see you "walk a mile in my shoes". Right or wrong Mr Blair and President Bush saw what they believed to be a danger and met it head on.
Where is your criticism for the weak and thoroughly morally bankrupt U.N.?

Laura, Pattaya, Thailand

Why do people feel this need to say God Bless him? He is already blessed with more luxury that any of us working class bums will ever get to enjoy. If Blair had been more pragmatic and hesitant about going to war with Cowboy Bush, then we might have a few less problems. I hope our Brit friends across the sea don't have to be saddled with a similar war cost that we will have to pay of $2.4 trillion dollars.

Brent, Richmond, USA

<i>It is noticeable that the only people speaking up for Bliar are people who are not living in this country with his legacy. Doesn't that tell a story?</i>
The UK turned on Churchill too.

Ross, Mobile, AL, USA

Tony Blair was a very poor judge of character. He ruined his political legacy by throwing his lot in with George W Bush. Had Blair stayed out of Iraq, he would undoubtedly still be a wildly popular PM.

Cropper, Wilton, CT

England is blessed in that there are still men, husbands, providers, leaders of the first order like Tony Blair. Although, I disagree with some of his lefty policies, he appears to be a true patriot who walks the walk for family and country.

Joe, Healdsburg, U.S.A.

Britian should be very proud of Tony Blair. As an American, I respect him very much.

Cary, Nashville, USA

It is noticeable that the only people speaking up for Bliar are people who are not living in this country with his legacy. Doesn't that tell a story?

Tigger, Chelmsford,

I admire and respect Tony Blair and know that he did the best he could do under the circumstances. People should not be so quick to judge until they spend a day in his shoes.

Shelly Wimmer, Charlotte, North Carolina

Let's all say "AH" for Tony, is any one surprised that Cherie didn't want him to pack in,she wanted a Republic so that she Could be the First Lady she is just a money grubber and he is no better. It just shows how much he thought about the people when he announced that he was buying £3.6million pound house and his Chancellor made it impossible for first time buyers to get on the Housing ladder.RUBBISH the lot of them they deserve all they get.

AMAC, St.Helens, England

That goes someway to explain some of his decisions.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

God Bless Tony Blair
Ann Donnelly, Vancouver, Washington USA

Ann you can have him. His policies have made a complete mess of this country (crippling tax, out of control immigration, rising crime including murders) and his arrogance led us into a war where he sent in underfunded, under equipped and undermanned armed forces. Historians will see his premiership as a disaster but more immediately I'd rather he was in the Hague for war crimes.

Geo, Glasgow, UK

I presume he was so addicted to power he couldn't bring himself to quit. That is what he should have done since his puppetry toward Bush was unforgivable and disgusting in all respects. As another comment has it "surely we are not expected to feel sorry for him." If he made a mistake, why didn't he reverse course to correct it? He could have withdrawn UK troops from Iraq except that he is an imperialist through and through. Disgusting man. Completely disgusting.

Hal, Tucson,

Surely we're not expected to feel sorry for him.

How much better for all of us if he'd stood down before the election ... then we would be nearly three years into Gordon's 'Vision for Britain' ....... and well on the way to a Conservative Government at the next election.

Donna Walker, Effingham, Surrey

God Bless Tony Blair

Ann Donnelly, Vancouver, Washington USA