Parliamentary Book Shelf

Parliamentary Book Shelf Tony Blair, A Journey, London, this summer have been called and biological weapons.” He Arrow Books, paperback edition, “the children of Tony Blair” as emphasized the importance of 2011, 718 p. they were raised without hope or the transatlantic alliance between This book continues the aspiration. the UK and North America “as tradition of British prime The wars in Iraq and the rock ultimately on which ministers reminiscing at the end Afghanistan which he was our security and prosperity is of their careers about their lives instrumental in raging have left based.” He also talked about his and legacy. John Major, Margaret many Britons with bad tastes core package of beliefs which he Thatcher, Edward Heath, Harold in their mouths. And his hopes described as: Wilson, Anthony Eden, Clement of bringing a new way of doing a common belief in the values Attlee, Ramsay MacDonald, politics were dashed with the of institutionalized democracy, Lloyd George, Arthur James “cash for honours” scandal the benefits of the rule of law, the primacy of the market as Balfour, not to mention Winston which came towards the end of the engine for growth, the Churchill, Robert Peel and Robert his administration in 2007. Yet belief in a strong and inclusive Walpole, all wrote memoirs. such an assessment places too society to correct the market’s injustices, the creative power of The tradition in Canada has much emphasis on the role of one individual, even a world leader, individualism and the ultimate not been as strong, perhaps need to protect human rights. in shaping the political, economic reflecting our more modest and A lot of his nearly 700 page self-effacing disposition. While and social forces at play on the domestic and world stages. To manuscript is spent delving into Tupper, Borden, Diefenbaker, these themes. Pearson, Trudeau, Mulroney, judge a legacy the best one can Campbell, Chrétien and Martin do is assess whether the person’s Two subjects he raises which all published recollections about heart was in the right place. are of interest to students of their political lives, Macdonald, There is much evidence that Tony government and often overlooked Mackenzie, Abbott, Thompson, Blair’s was. in the reviews of his book thus Bowell, Laurier, Meighen, In his book Mr. Blair says far were his relationship to Bennett, Saint-Laurent, Clark and that he wrote his own speeches parliament and his attitude Turner did not. Neither did our (p. 457). On February 22, 2001, towards public services. Mr. Blair longest-serving prime minister, Mr. Blair addressed the Canadian has had a reputation of never William Lyon Mackenzie King, Parliament and it is a safe being “a House of Commons although his diaries were assumption that he wrote that man” and it is presumed he subsequently printed. speech himself since it reflects would never reply the way Mr. Churchill did when asked what The legacy of Tony Blair seems most of the themes found in A Journey. In his address to his greatest thrill of life was – on the surface shaky. His attempt “to be referred to as Winston to transform the Labour Party Parliament he talked about the importance of bringing Churchill, M.P.” Yet there is into a modern, progressive, less something very Churchillian ideological and centrist party peace to Northern Ireland (and praised both in his speech and in how Mr. Blair thinks back suffered a major setback with about the first time he visited the election of Ed Miliband as his book the work of Canadian General John de Chastelain in Westminster to meet a sitting leader in September 2010: the first member, Tom Pendry. “I walked press reports upon his becoming the decommissioning of arms). He referred to the threats into the cavernous Central Lobby leader were “Miliband Declares where the public was to meet New Labour Dead.” The young “from terrorism and from the proliferation of nuclear, chemical their MPs, and I stopped. I was rioters who took to the UK streets thunderstruck. It just hit me. 42 CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW/WINTER 2011 This was where I wanted to be… 1999 which removed the right …Changing public service There and then, I had a complete of all but 92 hereditary peers to systems inevitably meant presentiment: here I was going to sit. Did he just lose interest or getting into the details of delivery and performance be. This was my destiny. This was did he find the forces opposing measurement in a radically my political home. I was going to further constitutional reform too more granular way. do whatever it took to enter it.” powerful? Increasingly, prime ministers (p. 34) are like CEOs or chairmen of As noted in books like major companies. They have Although he admits he hated Michael Barber’s Instruction to to set a policy direction; they Prime Minister’s Questions – he Deliver: Fighting to Transform have to see it is followed; they calls it a “nightmare” (p. 308) Britain’s Public Services (London: have to get data on whether with its “confrontations, all Methuen, 2007) which recounts it is; they have to measure outcomes.” (p. 338) messy, all off-putting” (p. 659) – New Labour’s achievements it was fitting that his last act as in bringing real change to how Mr. Blair received monthly prime minister was to take one public services are delivered, notes on the progress of each of final PMQ at which time he told clearly one of Mr. Blair’s greatest his domestic policy priorities as the House: contributions was his support for well as six month detailed reports performance measurement in the on what key actions were needed Some may belittle politics but to deliver success. His actions as we who are engaged in it know delivery of services. While he was prime minister set an important that it is where people stand proud of his accomplishments tall. Although I know that it in foreign policy, he was equally benchmark in this field for others has many harsh contentions, proud of his success in bringing to follow. it is still the arena that sets the heart beating a little faster. If the concept of getting value for There are many audiences it is, on occasions, the place of money to the forefront in the this book is addressed to: low skullduggery, it is more provision of services like health parliamentarians, historians, often the place for the pursuit care, education and welfare. foreign policy specialists, the of noble causes.(p. 662) As he told his public servants, engaged citizen as well as sitting One only wishes he could “don’t think for an instant that prime ministers and presidents. have expanded on how his in any other walk of life you All will find it of interest and a parliamentary experience before would spend these sums of valuable contribution to political becoming PM – for example, his money without demanding a literature. committee work – influenced measurable output.” And what him as well as why he did not was perhaps most important he Gary W. O’Brien complete the second phase of was not prepared to delegate the Clerk of the Senate Lords reform after the passage overseeing of his Delivery Unit to of the House of Lords Act in any other minister. He writes: CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW/WINTER 2011 43 .

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