Blairism

Blairism

Blair speaks in support of the Northern Ireland peace process in Armagh in September 1998.
In British politics, the term Blairism refers to the political ideology of former leader of theLabour Party and Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left both positions in 2007 to become Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East. Proponents of Blairism are referred to as Blairites.

Politically, Blair has been identified with record investment into public services, an interventionist and Atlanticist foreign policy, support for stronger law enforcement powers, a large focus on surveillance as a means to address terrorism and a large focus on education as a means to encourage social mobility. In the early years (circa 1994-1997), Blairism was also associated with support for European integration and particularly British participation in the European single currency, though this waned after Labour took office.
The term is used in particular in contrast to Brownite, to identify those within the Labour Party with a connection to, or identification with, Gordon Brown rather than Blair. However, with Blair and Brown typically in agreement on most political issues[1] (fromIraq to public sector reform), commentators have noted that "the difference between Brownites and Blairites … is more tribal than ideological".This is believed to stem from a personal disagreement between Blair and Brown over who should have run for the leadership following the death of John Smith in 1994: though Brown was originally considered the senior of the two, he waited until after Smith's funeral to begin campaigning by which point Blair had gathered too much momentum to be beaten.

The term is often used to describe individuals who supported Blair's leadership or those who supported his radical policies. OftenBrownites are seen as more left and, by some, seen to have a slightly more Liberal or Liberal Left ideology than Blairites. Brownites are also against the third way and are for more democratic socialist then Blairites.[citation needed]
For a long time, there has been a great deal of discussion in British politics about the Blairite legacy. This has intensified since September 2006, when Blair announced his intention to resign within a year, and especially since May 2007, when he said he would resign as Prime Minister on June 27, 2007. While centrists such as Gordon Brown and David Cameron claim that Blairism is safe in their hands, critics on the left (e.g. John McDonnell) and right (e.g. Norman Tebbit) dispute its value to British society.[citation needed]Others have even speculated that, if the Blairite coalition is to be seen as essentially one of pro-market anti-Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats could even be its ultimate inheritors.

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