BLAIR GIVES A LECTURE ON "THE NEXT STEPS FOR NEW LABOUR" AT LSE, IMAGE: LSE LIBRARY

International Conflicts

Just over 3 months after being returned to power, the series of events that would come to define this term of this government began. On the 11th of September 2001, America witnessed one of the worst terrorist attacks in human history when a group of Jihadist terrorists hijacked commercial aeroplanes and flew them into the Twin Towers and the US military headquarters located in the Pentagon. A month later, the invasion of Afghanistan began with the objective of damaging Al-Qaeda (who had carried out the attacks) and preventing Afghanistan from being a safe haven for terrorists. While failing to capture many leaders of Al-Qaeda, the initial invasion was successful, with the US-led coalition removing the Taliban administration. In the long term, however, this occupation became increasingly more complex, with 457 British service personnel dying over the next 20 years. The Taliban eventually returned to power in 2021. 

In recognition of the allyship of Great Britain to America following one of its darkest moments, Blair was given a Congressional Gold Medal, the first UK Prime Minister to receive this honour since Winston Churchill. This period undoubtedly strengthened the relationship not only between the two countries but also between the two men who led them, with Blair and American President George W. Bush (also known as Bush Jr.) having a firm bond.

This closeness became even more significant in 2003 when the decision was made to go to war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. The decision to go to war was a highly controversial one, with some polls suggesting that a majority of British citizens opposed the UK’s involvement. Blair justified his decision to invade Iraq alongside US President George W. Bush on Saddam Hussein’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). This was best exemplified by the dossier, which claimed that Iraq could deploy Weapons of Mass destruction within 45 minutes. Despite the public’s hostility, the vote to go to war passed parliament with 412 votes in favour and 149 votes against.  The political and military fallout from this vote would come to define the legacy of Blair and New Labour in the long term. Within the short term, it also had very real ramifications for the government. Robin Cook (who had been Foreign Secretary until his demotion after the 2001 General Election) made what Andrew Marr described as “without doubt one of the most effective, brilliant resignation speeches in modern British politics”, exemplifying the political damage this decision incurred.    

Initially, the invasion seemed to be a success with US, British, and Coalition forces successfully toppling the regime and killing Saddam Hussein. What was less successful, however, was the search for the WMDS, with a report concluding in 2004 that Iraq had no biological, nuclear, or chemical weapons before the invasion. This would later result in a series of enquiries, including those of Lords Hutton and Chilcot. These ultimately concluded that while the government was not deliberately deceitful about Iraq’s capabilities, it was suggested that some of the intelligence was ill-prepared and not sufficiently interrogated. Despite this, the war remains a key part of Tony Blair’s legacy and has often overshadowed his other accomplishments within the public conscience.

BLAIR WALKS WITH BUSH, IMAGE: WHITE HOUSE PHOTO OFFICE

Domestic Policy

Finally, it is important to acknowledge the often-overlooked domestic impacts of the second Blair Ministry. The programme of reform that had been initiated during the previous Parliament continued with changes such as the formation of foundation hospitals. These were hospitals that would be allowed to achieve their local health objectives without the same rules that traditional NHS hospitals were placed under. Further, the governing structure would also be changed in order to make it more accountable to local people. Importantly, these were still publicly funded hospitals, but through these reforms, Blair hoped to increase the performance of and choice provided by the NHS. These reforms led to a 10% increase in the number of people who were satisfied with the NHS in 2005 compared to 2001. Similar reforms were carried out in education, where the government sought to increase the private sector’s role within state education, as well as giving schools more choice on how to manage their staff and the curriculum they teach. 

In addition to these reforms to the public sector, there were also significant changes made to individual liberties and public safety. Following the 9/11 attacks in New York City, the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 was passed. This Act gave the government extended powers to freeze the assets of foreign people and organisations should they deem it necessary, as well as detain terrorist suspects without a trial. These changes were not uncontroversial, with Amnesty International publishing a memorandum criticising the government’s reforms. In a similar vein, the Police Reform Act 2002 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 both made significant changes to Britain’s justice system. The former act introduced Community Support Officers and expanded the powers of police complaints procedures. The latter allowed for the retrial of severe cases (breaking a long-standing precedent within British law). 

A final area of domestic reform worth mentioning is the passing of the Civil Partnership Act (in) 2004. This was a significant step forward for the gay populace as they were able to have similar rights and responsibilities to married heterosexual couples. While it is true that this stopped short of true marriage equality for gay people, it was a significant step forward for the community.

BLAIR ON A VISIT TO A SCHOOL, IMAGE: SPIKED