10/02/2006 1:59:14 pm
A Very Interesting Question. The Economist writes in its Bagehot column about the legacy of Mr Blair. The current rebellion against his school reforms shows how fragile New Labour is. In fact, there is no-one after Mr Blair who will defend his policies. On the contrary, the leadership of Margaret Thatcher inspired a movement in the whole Western world. Not only her party was changed forever, but also Labour and Britain - and, in turn, the rest of Europe. And her legacy of a free economy and limited state lives on. I really wonder what the main differences between these two - Thatcherism and New Labour - are. More content in Thatcherism, for sure. A stronger backing from think-tanks and economic science. A desire in society to see something new. In New Labour, much is definitely media spin and surface. But do these factors account for the whole difference?