Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Illinois State U. professor explains 'Tony Blair's American Problem'
By Matt Rotman
The Daily Vidette (Illinois State U.)
10/19/2006

(U-WIRE) NORMAL, Ill. — The International Studies Seminar Series featured speaker Richard Soderlund, an associate history professor, on the topic of "Tony Blair's American Problem: Iraq, New Labour and the Special Relationship."

Many students and faculty turned out to hear Soderlund as he detailed British Prime Minister Tony Blair's ascent to power and the eventual decline due to his relationship with the United States and questionable internal politics. He began with a brief introduction of the origins of Blair's career, starting at his rise to the top of the Labour Party in 1994 at the age of 42.

"His popularity was wide, and he was embraced by the public...and the media just assumed that one day, he would be Prime Minister," Soderlund said.

"It seemed that it was impossible to touch him."

Soderlund said Blair made a splash at the annual Labour Party conference by speaking passionately about recapturing Britain's youth and moral values.

"He broke with the Labour Party's heritage to the left, and while it is not inaccurate to assume it had a heritage of a socialistic party...Blair buried it," he said.

Blair spoke of toughness on crime, unregulated free market capitalism and stricter laws on asylum, a notion differing from most generous policies shared by many European countries, Soderlund said.

In May of 1997, Blair was elected the new prime minister.

"The scale of victory was astonishing, and there was great excitement and optimism," Soderlund said.

"This was a very significant event because it was the worst defeat for the Conservative Party since 1832."

However, the Blair administration was not without its problems, Soderlund said. He was reelected twice, but the third time around, the victory came from a very diminished majority. By 2006, Soderlund said Blair's reputation is now in near ruins, his personal popularity has plummeted, and his government publicly despised.

"Something has gone terribly wrong," Soderlund said.

He said part of the problem, which is a common problem in modern politics, is after holding power for such a long time, Blair's focus and energy has dissipated.

"But a more precise cause is his ardent alliance with Bush and the war in Iraq," Soderlund claimed.

"While there was no significant dissent offered by the media in the U.S., the UK media jumped on Blair, destroying his credibility."

It was said Blair's religious and moral stances, as well his pursuits at privatization have also hurt him in public opinion.

Next Wednesday's presentation will be led by Subho Basu from Syracuse University titled "Unsettled Himalayas: People's Movements and the Collapse of Monarchical Order in Nepal."

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