The Reverend Tony Blair has announced his departure from the pulpit of the Trimdon Labour Club, in Sedgefield. This is "where my political journey began and where it is fitting it should end", he said. On 27th June he will visit Her Majesty the Queen at the Palace where he will humbly tender his resignation as Prime Minister.
Blair's departure marks the end of an era in more ways than one. Ten years ago, Labour had the support of millions of workers who hoped that the party would introduce fundamental change after near two decades of Tory misrule. They were sadly disappointed. Blair, despite all the rhetoric, simply carried on from where the Tories left off. One of the first people to call on him to offer advice was Margaret Thatcher – the most hated Tory Prime Minister in history.
In the first years of the Blair government public spending was kept below the average for spending under the Tories. All the anti-trade union legislation was kept on the books. While some concessions were made, such as the minimum wage, it was on a low level and bosses simply reduced the number of hours of work, while demanding workers finish their full quota in the time allotted. At the same time, the government came out boldly for labour flexibility and the Rule of the Market. Gradually, the market ("private enterprise") was introduced into health, education and other public services.
"So 1997 was a moment for a new beginning, for sweeping away all the detritus of the past", stated Blair. This meant a green light for the bosses to put the boot in even further, a continuation of the Thatcher years.
"Think back. No, really, think back. Think about your own living standards then in May 1997 and now", started Blair. He forgot to mention the little fact that the rich have never had it so good. He forgot to say that public sector workers were facing a cut in wages. "Expectations were so high. Too high. Too high in a way for either of us", he went on, in an attempt to brush aside the huge disillusionment that exists towards Blairism and what it has meant. We are facing the real prospects of a return of a Tory government at the next election as a result of Blair and his pro-capitalist policies.
"Ask when you last had to wait a year or more on a hospital waiting list, or heard of pensioners freezing to death in the winter unable to heat their homes", he insists. But he fails to recognize the cuts and shortages in the Health Service or the bankruptcies of the Hospital Trusts he set up. He fails to recognize the difficulties faced by old people, who still die every winter because of not enough money. More will be pushed into poverty as more are forced to retire later due to inadequate pensions.
"Look at our economy", states Blair. "At ease with globalization. London the world's financial centre." But the British economy has been de-industrialised. British capitalism under Blair has become a parasitic rentier economy. It rests on speculation, financial wheeling and dealing, property swindles and all the other get-rich gimmicks of capitalism in decline. Globalisation is capitalism's domination of the world at the behest of giant corporations and billionaire capitalists, eager to exploit every sector of the globe for its own interests.
Blair ties together the fight against poverty and terrorism in the same breath. "The global movement to support Africa in its struggle against poverty. Climate change. The fight against terrorism. Britain is not a follower. It is a leader." Britain is no leader but a poodle of US imperialism. In this role it is forced to bend the knee to Washington in its quest for world domination.
"This is a country today that …. is comfortable in the 21st Century", states Blair. But what he really means is comfortable for the billionaires and speculators, not for the working class which is forced to make ends meet by over-work or debt.
"Without the Labour Party allowing me to lead it, nothing could ever have been done. But I knew my duty was to put the country first. That much was obvious to me when just under 13 years ago I became Labour's Leader", remarks Blair. Again, this is simply an admission that he used the Labour Party for his own ends to further his right-wing agenda. The Blairites hi-jacked the Labour Party and put it at the disposal of the ruling class. His talk about putting the country first means to put capitalism first. The party was only a vehicle which is now to be discarded after its role has been exhausted. He is following in the footsteps of Ramsay MacDonald.
"Sometimes, like tuition fees or trying to break up old monolithic public services, they are deeply controversial, hellish hard to do, but you can see you are moving with the grain of change round the word", says Blair. Everything is used to justify his policy of counter-reforms. The world is changing, therefore we must accept cuts and lower conditions.
He tries to justify the invasion of Iraq. "For me, I think we must see it through. They, the terrorists, who threaten us here and round the world, will never give up if we give up. It is a test of will and of belief. And we can't fail it." But fail they will. The forces of occupation are being defeated. The imperialists are not interested in "democracy" but oil, plunder, profits, and power. That is their God. And The Reverend Blair is their faithful servant and minister. "I have been very lucky and very blessed", he says.
Tony Blair ended his reign with the usual platitudes. "It has been an honour to serve", he says. But to serve who? For more than a decade he has acted as the mouthpiece of Big Business. These are his real masters, the rich and mighty. The City of London. The billionaire parasites who dominate our lives. In other words, the British Ruling Class. "I give my thanks to you, the British people, for the times I have succeeded, and my apologies to you for the times I have fallen short." Again, this is not to the British people, but to the capitalist Establishment. He has served them well. They will surely reward him with treasures and gold.
For the working class, the departure of Blair is a blessing. He has become even more hated than Thatcher. The task now is to finish off Blairism, and the reactionary pro-capitalist creed associated with New Labour. We must rid the labour movement of those who worship at the shrine of capitalism. At this point the left must rally to support John McDonnell in his challenge for the leadership of the Labour Party. We must use this opportunity to transform the labour movement and shape it into a weapon that can serve the interests of the working class. That means fighting for a bold socialist programme that will take the political and economic power out of the hands of the billionaire parasites and place it in the hands of ordinary working people.
Blair has gone. Forward to socialism!
