I know that you are not supposed to view politics from your own personal or family perspective, however, my politics are personal and based upon my own upbringing and life experiences. I suspect that in reality everyone shares this view.
So, what has been some of my personal and family perspectives on Tony Blair successes and failures during his time as Prime Minister? This is a short snap shot. Perhaps I could expand it to wider issues such as constitutional matters, gay rights, employment, mortgages, Northern Ireland, Trade union rights, Warwick or foreign policy? I’ll start with my Mum, brother-in-law and niece.
I think that the major achievement of Blair (and Brown) for my family has been pension credit. My mother is totally dependant upon her state pension. She (like most people) never had a chance to join a company pension scheme. The massive increase in her pension under Labour has made a huge difference to her life. Pounds in pockets. Easy to mock this if you already have them.
She lives in a very nice EPD (Elderly Persons Dwelling – which ironically used to be her primary school when she was little). She is the tenant of a Housing Association which was newly built about 7 years ago. A Blair government may have provided the money to build her flat, but she would rather have rented from the Council. She does not think that she has a personal “relationship” with her landlord in the same way her mother had with the Council. Blair has refused to allow Councils to build new properties and effectively tried to force them to transfer their stock to Housing associations.
My elder sister is married to a self-employed “lagger”. He drives a “white (-ish) van” very carefully. He provides and fits (usually by himself) insulation to commercial central heating and hot water systems. Most of his work is in the public sector as a sub-contractor to refurbishment or new build fire stations, hospitals, schools etc. He works bloody hard. It is a often, dirty physical work with no long term security. He refuses to declare who he votes for (I can guess). However, he accepts that under Blair he has never had so much work, due to massive investment in public services. Even though he also moans that he now has to pay far more in income tax. He is worried about his pension and what would happen to him if he was to fall sick or have an accident.
One of my nieces is now 21 and works as a shop assistant. She lives in an area where wages are traditionally very low. Blair may have done little to change the structural economic problems in that region; however, what he and his government have done is to introduce the national minimum wage (and 20 days’ annual holidays). Her money and working conditions may still be poor; however, the minimum wages has made a huge difference to her life. Pounds in pockets. She may have no pension (or sick company pay) at the moment, but the proposed Pension Personal accounts should help her start protecting her future.
Shall I go on?
So, what has been some of my personal and family perspectives on Tony Blair successes and failures during his time as Prime Minister? This is a short snap shot. Perhaps I could expand it to wider issues such as constitutional matters, gay rights, employment, mortgages, Northern Ireland, Trade union rights, Warwick or foreign policy? I’ll start with my Mum, brother-in-law and niece.
I think that the major achievement of Blair (and Brown) for my family has been pension credit. My mother is totally dependant upon her state pension. She (like most people) never had a chance to join a company pension scheme. The massive increase in her pension under Labour has made a huge difference to her life. Pounds in pockets. Easy to mock this if you already have them.
She lives in a very nice EPD (Elderly Persons Dwelling – which ironically used to be her primary school when she was little). She is the tenant of a Housing Association which was newly built about 7 years ago. A Blair government may have provided the money to build her flat, but she would rather have rented from the Council. She does not think that she has a personal “relationship” with her landlord in the same way her mother had with the Council. Blair has refused to allow Councils to build new properties and effectively tried to force them to transfer their stock to Housing associations.
My elder sister is married to a self-employed “lagger”. He drives a “white (-ish) van” very carefully. He provides and fits (usually by himself) insulation to commercial central heating and hot water systems. Most of his work is in the public sector as a sub-contractor to refurbishment or new build fire stations, hospitals, schools etc. He works bloody hard. It is a often, dirty physical work with no long term security. He refuses to declare who he votes for (I can guess). However, he accepts that under Blair he has never had so much work, due to massive investment in public services. Even though he also moans that he now has to pay far more in income tax. He is worried about his pension and what would happen to him if he was to fall sick or have an accident.
One of my nieces is now 21 and works as a shop assistant. She lives in an area where wages are traditionally very low. Blair may have done little to change the structural economic problems in that region; however, what he and his government have done is to introduce the national minimum wage (and 20 days’ annual holidays). Her money and working conditions may still be poor; however, the minimum wages has made a huge difference to her life. Pounds in pockets. She may have no pension (or sick company pay) at the moment, but the proposed Pension Personal accounts should help her start protecting her future.
Shall I go on?
1 comment:
My personal view is that society has got more prosperous, and more liberal since 1997. I don't have a strong view of public services since I don't use them a lot (ie I'm too old for school and I'm not sick, thanksfully) but my other half complains a bit about the NHS.
I'm definitely to the Left of Blair, and as such in some ways I see the past 10 years as a bit of a missed opportunity. I think he had the opportunity to reinvigorate social democracy, rather than just watering it down, and as such I think hs set his sights too low.
Also I'm very sceptical about the 'choice' agenda for public services, because I'm convinced choice works different ways in different sectors. Choice might give people the illusion of control but deliver no better outcomes.
That said I've never thought twice about voting Labour in general elections because knowing the little I do about policy I definitely see tham as the Left alternative. I thought about not voting at all in the locals once - at the time of the Iraq war - but decided that this only helps the Right.
Blair is a brilliant politician on his day, and Labour will miss him no question.
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