A pale shadow of the Iron Lady
One of my regrets is only becoming a Member of Parliament after Margaret Thatcher had left the House of Commons. She may have excited controversy but she was one of the most formidable politicians of our age.
When the Falklands War took place, and the lead up to the first Iraq war, the preparation and detailed thought were comprehensive to a degree. Listening to Tony Blair at last being interviewed on Radio 4 yesterday, what a contrast. Going to war is not about being some moralising Sir Galahad. Of course there has to be a moral base to foreign policy, but Blair has fallen into the trap of identifying countries in black and white and apocalyptic terms. His powerful and dramatic description of problems in speeches all too rarely translate into properly thought out actions. The sheer functional incompetence in all government departments is breathtaking.
Would Margaret Thatcher have gone to war in Iraq without demanding (and getting) the closest involvement in deciding critical issues like post-invasion security, control and governance? Of course not.
Tony Blair has liked to suggest he is something of an heir to Thatcher. However his legacy, by comparison, will be a woefully anaemic one.