I wasn't sure whether to post this in the politics or TV thread but I've started watching this, part way into episode two.
It's been a bit self congratulatory thus far, hopefully the latter day fuck ups will be covered "warts and all".
It's got me to thinking about that time, it was a fun time in my life personally (though, with hindsight, unsustainably so...........but that's another tale) and as someone who grew up in the dark days of Thatcher, followed by the overt and unapologetic incompetence of the Major era (plus ca change.........) 1st May 1997 sticks in my mind as one of the most euphoric and hopeful nights of my life.
It was pre-modern communication, I recall being on the land line all night, calling friends, going mental as all those evil bastards who had tried to ruin my life lost their seats.
Such hope, a progressive government with a massive majority......everything was possible.
I'd never felt so hopeful as an adult.
Sadly, it ended badly......meet the new boss......ultimately with Capitalism's latest failure in 08 and a society unprepared and unstructured to deal with it, unconscionable in light of the size of the first two majorities.
This left the country vulnerable, led to Trish Cameron, the new Thatcherites and to the shit show we're enjoying today.
Watching the show took me right back to that euphoria and depressed the shit out of me.
What a missed opportunity.
Wind and pish, the lot of it.
Another interesting read, not sure I share the optimism but the New Labour aftermath is spot on.
Oddly, after discussing the ultimate failure of that "Labour" (sic) government and what happened next, I read this article today -
Remember, austerity was an ideological choice made by the Bullingdon Spivs.
If this trash remain in power, austerity two will be a doozy.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Finished watching this, it really was a fascinating trawl.
I think the protagonists were all trying to place themselves in the best historical light.
Blair's thoughts were, in my opinion, always about his post political career...... and global aspirations there for.
Hence his attachment to the chimp and the Iraq war.
As abhorrent as his enthusiastic pursuit of war in Iraq was, I found his casual espousing of private sector funding in the NHS equally sick inducing.
I wonder what would have happened had Brown replaced him as leader prior to 05?
I'm sure Labour would've garnered a sizeable majority, would Brown have been able to better equip the country to deal with Capitalism's 08 failure in that extra couple of years?
Who knows, the infrastructural vulnerabilities were historic, so it's possibly doubtful.
By the time of the 2010 election, politics had descended wholly to the dummed down personality contest which it is now.
Brown was never personally equipped to fight an election on that basis leaving the country vulnerable to a Tory party now fully controlled by the Bullingdon spivs who have, and continue to, destroy(ed) the country.
It really is a fascinating, frustrating, depressing chronicle of a massive missed opportunity, possibly the last chance, to put right a lot of the damage done by the Thatcher era.
What might have been.........🤔
Watching part three now.
I'd forgotten about William Hague.
I blame the parents.
Just watched episode two. I'm finding it a fascinating trail through a recent historical period, albeit I think the premise of the programme is meant to be the deteriorating relationship between the two eponymous protagonists.
The ending of the civil war in Ireland was covered, though probably not in as much detail as I'd have liked personally.
The Campbell/Whelan dynamic was quite interesting to revisit also.
You can see where Malcolm Tucker evolved from and no mistake.
Then there was the lunacy of Diana's death.
There's no doubt there's a "history written by the winners" vibe to this, but the early positives from this government (Ireland, as mentioned, welfare to work, the windfall tax etc.) make the end up all the more frustrating.
I'm finding it interesting.
I voted for Blair the first time round - lesson learned.
Others didn't seem to heed the warnings. How on earth did he survive so long as PM?
Who the heck continued to vote for such a man?
I don't think I can bring myself to watch, it will just be too depressing. I too remember that night, the next day at work, a colleague & I in the pub at lunchtime celebrating, meeting a friend on the Saturday and giving each other the biggest hugs - WE WON!!
For a while it seemed ok and they did do some good stuff, but not enough good stuff and then came that fucking war...
I prefer Brown to Blair. I can understand that, as Scots, you can't agree with him on independence, but I think he is genuine in his opinions, which I often agree with.
Aye, his intervention in the indi ref irked me.
As I recall the educational thing that was in response to some sort of survey amongst school pupils?
No idea re: the legal system thing?
Anyway, I think he does things for what he, mistakenly perhaps, sees as the right reasons......unlike a lot of politicians.
I found him infinitely more palatable than his opportunist, spiv buddy.