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After
a Decade, Blair Hands British Premiership to Brown |
Posted:
06.27.07
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British Prime Minister Tony Blair stepped down Wednesday and
his former economic minister Gordon Brown assumed the nation's
highest elected office in an election-less transition.
Printer-friendly version: PDF
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 Because
Blair handed over the premiership in a non-election year, Brown
did not need to win a vote from the British people. Instead, he
secured support last month from his fellow Labour members -- the
liberal party currently in control of Parliament -- ensuring they
would install him in the role.
"I will lead a new government with new priorities,"
Brown said, reported the New York Times. "I formally accept
the nomination, the responsibility it brings, and the opportunity
to serve the people of Britain."
Blair, who was serving his third term since entering office in
1997, announced his decision to leave his post last September.
The decision dates back to an alleged dinner meeting between Blair
and Brown in 1994, the Financial Times reported, where the two
possible political foes within the Labour Party agreed the more
popular Blair would run for office first, serve into his second
term, and then hand over power to Brown.
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The legacy
of the Iraq war |
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As Brown moves into the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing
Street, he inherits some domestic and international problems left
over from Blair's 10 years in office.
 Blair's
unpopular support of the US decision to invade Iraq and his deployment
of thousands of troops to the war-torn region turned much of British
public against him.
Brown has thus far failed to outline a clear policy on Iraq,
largely dodging questions about the continued British role in
the region -- leaving open how he may tackle an issue experts
say could make or break his political future.
The incoming prime minister has acknowledged that Blair consulted
faulty intelligence before entering the war, but has not outlined
a plan for withdrawing the more than 5,000 British troops.
He has, however, expressed a willingness to limit the prime minister's
power in deciding military policy.
"I have already said Parliament should have a more formal
role in issues of war and peace," Brown told the New York
Times. "But I think we can go further and learn from what's
happened over the last few years."
Brown has not said to what degree he would continue Blair's friendship
with President Bush, stating only that the relationship between
the British prime minister and the American president is important.
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Who is Gordon
Brown? |
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Although Brown served as chancellor of the exchequer -- the office
overseeing Britain's economy -- throughout Blair's tenure, he
remains somewhat of a mystery to the public.
"The next prime minister is, by and large, a blank sheet
of paper," a recent Sunday Times of London editorial said.
 The
son of a Scottish minister, Brown has served in politics for the
better part of his life. Elected to Parliament in 1983, he represented
the Labour Party on issues of trade and industry before taking
a position at the Treasury.
He is heralded for stabilizing the British economy despite its
recent downturn. Under Brown, unemployment rates dropped to record
lows, inflation was kept at bay, and the economy grew proportionately
faster than the rest of the European Union, making his decision
to keep the British pound instead of switching to the euro currency
seem particularly shrewd.
"I think he is seen as a somewhat more solid ... clergyman's
son, giving it to you straight," Timothy Garton Ash, professor
of modern history at Oxford University, told the New York Times.
"He's not regarded as a prince of spin or a liar."
The leader of the rival Conservative Party David Cameron, however,
has frequently criticized the unorthodox transition as a violation
of electoral protocol and said Brown can't provide the change
Britain needs.
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Issues at
home |
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At first, it was unclear if the Labour Party would embrace Brown
as Blair's replacement, but the party appears to have rallied
around national issues.
"The mood within the party is far more upbeat than many
people had predicted," Liam Byrne, the immigration minister,
told the Financial Times. "There will be a real opportunity
for Gordon to put the Labour Party and government back on a very
strong political footing."
 For
his domestic agenda, Brown is likely to use the Labour Party's
backing to better the National Health Service, looking to improve
long-term care and balance the budget of the perennially criticized
government-run health program.
Brown is additionally expected to seek reforms in Britain's retirement
pension program and propose a new cross-town subway project in
London. He also has made clear he opposes a Scottish move toward
independence, despite hailing from the island's northern region.
Brown also will have to start looking toward the next election
in 2010. He will likely have to invigorate the economy and mend
the heath care system to avoid surrendering power to the Conservatives.
"What we are about to see is the start of a long and vigorous
campaign towards the next election," Byrne said.
--Compiled
by Brian Mason for NewsHour Extra
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It's important to understand both sides in an election, and I think it will be interesting to hear the Republican opinion on big issues. As a writer, it will be my job to take that perspective and share it with the youth of the country, a crowd that mainly supports Obama.
