Talk:Tony Blair

Because of their length, the previous discussions on this page have been archived. If further archiving is needed, see Wikipedia:How to archive a talk page.

Archives
Archive 1 (May 04, 2003 to Jan 16, 2005) Archive 2 (Feb 07, 2005 to Nov 04, 2005) Archive 3 (Jan 23, 2006 to Jul 30, 2006) Archive 4 (Jul 02, 2006 to Feb 27, 2007)

Scandles

Where is all the information about the scandles involving this fool? 45minute weapons, cash for peerages - this page has clearly either been written by tony himself or by someone expecting a knighthood without needing the ££££.

Merge

It has been suggested that Tony Blair's biographical page and the sub-topic article on his service as Prime Minister should be merged. However, this would create a huge article. His biography is 52kb long as it its and his Prme Minister article alone is another 49, almost the same length. Many articles have split their pages into more specific, sub-topic related pages and Tony Blair should be no different. I supoort keeping the arangement the way things are.Rougher07 08:00, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Thatcherite Blair

The arguments which suggest that Blair is a Thatcherite are compelling indeed. Put aside all of the Third Way rhetoric and examine the facts. Blair's approach towards the economy is in the Thatcherite tradition of free market laissez-faire. Whilst Blair has placed great emphasis on improving the standard of education and health, his favoured methods also derive from Thatcherism - use of market forces and business "expertise", creeping privatisation, centralised control and targets. Mrs T invented all of these. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying the two leaders are exactly alike, because they are not. But they are more similar than different, in the same way that Gaitskell and Macmillan, Wilson and Heath were different yet the same in their policies, at end of the day.

(88.111.238.2 22:24, 6 March 2007 (UTC))

Thatcher didn't create centralised control and targets, this has always been a left wing policy more than a right wing one. While I accept a lot of your points, he has picked up more than one trick from Thatcher, they fundamentally differ in that Margaret Thatcher's strongest belief was in a smaller state and lower taxation, whereas Blair has always believed that increasing taxation is okay to pay for the NHS, public services etc.Lager7 16:02, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

Using market forces and business expertise is hardly Thatcherite doctrine. Thatcher made some fundamental changes to the UK economy in a way I dont think anyone had done since Atlee and Bevin, and I would say its far more accurate to describe Blair as a bevanite than as a Thatcherite. He's a typical left winger and the consequences of that are very clear in modern British society with its politically correct surveillance society. Brown is worse so I think the idea that Blair is presiding over a shift to the right is exactly the opposite of what is happening, SqueakBox 19:13, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

In what sense is Blair "a typical left winger" ? He follows Thatcherite taxation schemes, Thatcherite education plans, Thatcherite economics, Thatcherite schemes for the NHS and has led Britain into a war with Iraq despite mass opposition. Okay so he doesn't wear a blue twin suit or carry a handbag but that's about all the differences between him and Thatcher. SmokeyTheCat 13:20, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

How on earth does his invading Iraq make him right wing. Do you think only right-wingers follow such aggressive policies. He is a classic leftie who wants to control people and pour money into socially equalising projects like the NHS and state education. How is he different from Bevin is the question I would ask. Though Brown today has shown himself to be a little more inspired. tax cuts, now that is more right wing though probably more inspired by greed for power than genuine right wing beliefs, SqueakBox 14:28, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

Blair believes in everything, and I mean everything, that Thatcher believed in. How is he different from Bevin? Doh, PRIVATISATION!? Bevin created the NHS, Blair is busy destroying it by privatisation.SmokeyTheCat 11:20, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Blair and Lord Levy - Cash for Peerages

Whether there's a prosecution to follow or not, I am surprised that no mention of Lord Levy and his current difficulties in connection with activities on behalf of the PM is made in the article after the Labour Lawyers for Israel section. Why not? Do we hang fire until after the DPP makes his decision and not mention the material that is already in the public domain despite the injunctions sought by Lord Goldsmith. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Jatrius (talk • contribs) 15:43, 14 March 2007 (UTC).

Minor edit wanted

On the section "Blair and Gordon Brown" I think the first mention of Gordon Brown (and also John Smith) should be hyperlinked. Uberdude85 23:40, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

Its completely locked and it would be bad form for an admin to edit in this state. I do suggest that somebody search using the term Bliar on a regular basis and will try to myself as ti was only by running a search that I dioscovered the vandalsim that may have gone undetected for a long time, SqueakBox 23:50, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

I have reverted it a couple of times especially this one where the info box had been gone awhile. I couldn't find any instances of the misspelling Bliar just now.--Paloma Walker 00:02, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Indeed not as I checked it and removed them all (in another programme) and Guinnog locked the article minutes later, SqueakBox 00:04, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

So is this article locked against all changes for ever, or should I raise some kind of 'unlock request'? It seems to me that my proposed change is small, uncontroversial and beneficial. I appreciate this page will be the target of much vandalism, but the whole spirit of wikipedia seems to be defeated if we can't improve it. Uberdude85 00:25, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

{{editprotected}} According to the page log, available from the history list, this page will automatically become unprotected on 27 Mar. The two names are already linked the first time they are used. I will resolve the editprotected tag. If you wish to have the protection removed, ask User:Guinnog who made the page protected. It might be worthwhile to just wait a few days; there are lots of articles to work on besides this one. CMummert · talk 05:45, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

The question is why an admin has made a POV edit in the mean time [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tony_Blair&diff=117446926&oldid=116630309 here. This is completely unacceptable admin abuse on the part of Cntrx. I am appalled at such a cavalier attitude, SqueakBox 04:08, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

I was reverting what I thought was vandalism that had occurred after I unprotected the article, i.e. the undetected removal of an entire section. Perhaps you should not jump to wild conclusions. —Centrx→talk • 04:58, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

As it turns out, it was vandalism that caused the removal of that section, specifically an incomplete revert that left this and then a later removal, rather than revert, of the vandalism. —Centrx→talk • 05:12, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

I was confused not jumping to wild conclusions. Thanks for the explanation, obviously a genuine vandalism revert is a good reason to unlock and relock the article but I couldnt make sense of your edit summary as I couldnt see how you were reverting to yourself, SqueakBox 16:05, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

Les Huckfield and 1983 sedgefield selection

i noticed the refrence to Les Huckfield who may have been shortlisted by Sedgefield CLP in 1983. However i fail to see his relivance, he may have been the sitting MP for Nuneaton but might i point out that Nuneaton is over 150 miles from Sedgefield and therefore of little relevance.

I'm sure that the Sedgefield CLP selection meetings in 1983 would have been very interesting places to be, i'm not so sure that the good people of Sedgefield would have been that impressed by a sitting MP from Warwickshire who has lost any chance of a midlands seat and was looking north.