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| In quotes: Blair quits reaction | In quotes: Blair quits reaction |
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| Political figures give their reaction to the news that Tony Blair is to stand down as prime minister after 10 years. | Political figures give their reaction to the news that Tony Blair is to stand down as prime minister after 10 years. |
| PETER HAIN, NORTHERN IRELAND SECRETARY | PETER HAIN, NORTHERN IRELAND SECRETARY |
| Tony Blair is the most successful Labour prime minister ever in our 100-year history as a party. Whatever the hits and the battering that you suffer in 10 years in government in the mass-media era, Britain has become a much fairer, more tolerant, more prosperous country in 10 years of Tony Blair at the helm. | Tony Blair is the most successful Labour prime minister ever in our 100-year history as a party. Whatever the hits and the battering that you suffer in 10 years in government in the mass-media era, Britain has become a much fairer, more tolerant, more prosperous country in 10 years of Tony Blair at the helm. |
| WILLIAM HAGUE, EX-TORY LEADER | WILLIAM HAGUE, EX-TORY LEADER |
| I think it's good for the Conservative Party to see the back of him... He has defeated us three times. For the country, he leaves a disappointing and somewhat disillusioning legacy. | I think it's good for the Conservative Party to see the back of him... He has defeated us three times. For the country, he leaves a disappointing and somewhat disillusioning legacy. |
| SIR MENZIES CAMPBELL, LIB DEM LEADER | SIR MENZIES CAMPBELL, LIB DEM LEADER |
| Tony Blair has been the first Labour prime minister to win three consecutive general elections and he will be rightly remembered for this. Yet overall his period in office can only be characterised as a decade of missed opportunities in which the hopes of the British people for a new kind of politics were shattered. Today politics is more devalued than ever: the gap between rich and poor is wider than it was under Margaret Thatcher; personal debt is spiralling out of control; hospitals are in deficit; and the UK is at the bottom of the Unicef league table for child well-being. These are the failures of the Blair premiership and failure of New Labour. | Tony Blair has been the first Labour prime minister to win three consecutive general elections and he will be rightly remembered for this. Yet overall his period in office can only be characterised as a decade of missed opportunities in which the hopes of the British people for a new kind of politics were shattered. Today politics is more devalued than ever: the gap between rich and poor is wider than it was under Margaret Thatcher; personal debt is spiralling out of control; hospitals are in deficit; and the UK is at the bottom of the Unicef league table for child well-being. These are the failures of the Blair premiership and failure of New Labour. |
| LORD KINNOCK, FORMER LABOUR LEADER | LORD KINNOCK, FORMER LABOUR LEADER |
| The one word that has to be associated with Tony is "winner", not just of the unprecedented succession of three elections won by the Labour Party with large majorities, but also a winner because of his utter insistence and his endurance in Northern Ireland. A winner also in the way in which over 10 years the government which he has led has produced conditions in which people expect stable affluence. That is unprecedented. | The one word that has to be associated with Tony is "winner", not just of the unprecedented succession of three elections won by the Labour Party with large majorities, but also a winner because of his utter insistence and his endurance in Northern Ireland. A winner also in the way in which over 10 years the government which he has led has produced conditions in which people expect stable affluence. That is unprecedented. |
| COLIN POWELL, FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE | COLIN POWELL, FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE |
| Prime Minister Blair has had an enormous impact on world politics, and he certainly has had an enormous impact on the special relationship between the United States and Great Britain. He has been a friend, he has been steadfast in the face of negative public opinion and in the face of crises he's stood steady. And we could always count on him. | Prime Minister Blair has had an enormous impact on world politics, and he certainly has had an enormous impact on the special relationship between the United States and Great Britain. He has been a friend, he has been steadfast in the face of negative public opinion and in the face of crises he's stood steady. And we could always count on him. |
| HAZEL BLEARS, LABOUR CHAIRMAN | HAZEL BLEARS, LABOUR CHAIRMAN |
| The prime minister made his decision that he wasn't going to serve out his third term. He's going on his own terms at a time of his choosing. That's absolutely right for the most successful prime minister the Labour Party has ever had. | The prime minister made his decision that he wasn't going to serve out his third term. He's going on his own terms at a time of his choosing. That's absolutely right for the most successful prime minister the Labour Party has ever had. |
| FRANK DOBSON, FORMER LABOUR HEALTH SECRETARY | FRANK DOBSON, FORMER LABOUR HEALTH SECRETARY |
| In non-domestic politics he will be plagued with that [the war in Iraq]. It was a very bad decision. And it was a bad decision in terms of Britain's interests. It was a bad decision in terms of stimulating terrorism rather than reducing it. But probably its worst effect overall was it led to a great distrust of the prime minister. | In non-domestic politics he will be plagued with that [the war in Iraq]. It was a very bad decision. And it was a bad decision in terms of Britain's interests. It was a bad decision in terms of stimulating terrorism rather than reducing it. But probably its worst effect overall was it led to a great distrust of the prime minister. |
| LORD GOULD, DOWNING STREET STRATEGIST | LORD GOULD, DOWNING STREET STRATEGIST |
| This is a big, paradoxical man. He is a huge figure: people like him; they dislike him. | This is a big, paradoxical man. He is a huge figure: people like him; they dislike him. |
| JOHN BURTON, TONY BLAIR'S ELECTION AGENT | JOHN BURTON, TONY BLAIR'S ELECTION AGENT |
| It is a sad day in some ways that he is finishing his 10 years as prime minister. It is also a day of celebration for what he has achieved in this country and certainly in this constituency. I think he will be remembered here for the change in the standard of living. When I go to conferences and I hear him speak there are tears in my eyes, so I will probably be crying my eyes out today. | It is a sad day in some ways that he is finishing his 10 years as prime minister. It is also a day of celebration for what he has achieved in this country and certainly in this constituency. I think he will be remembered here for the change in the standard of living. When I go to conferences and I hear him speak there are tears in my eyes, so I will probably be crying my eyes out today. |
| REG KEYS, FATHER OF SOLDIER KILLED IN IRAQ | REG KEYS, FATHER OF SOLDIER KILLED IN IRAQ |
| He will be leaving behind a mess in Iraq... I just wonder how his successor will sort out the Iraq mess. | He will be leaving behind a mess in Iraq... I just wonder how his successor will sort out the Iraq mess. |
| ALAN MILBURN, FORMER CABINET MINISTER | ALAN MILBURN, FORMER CABINET MINISTER |
| People will have mixed views about Tony.... Overall, I think he's been, certainly for the Labour Party, the most successful and the best leader we've ever had. He's been the outstanding politician of his generation and he's changed the landscape of this country. | People will have mixed views about Tony.... Overall, I think he's been, certainly for the Labour Party, the most successful and the best leader we've ever had. He's been the outstanding politician of his generation and he's changed the landscape of this country. |
| KEN LIVINGSTONE, MAYOR OF LONDON | KEN LIVINGSTONE, MAYOR OF LONDON |
| I think the most important single thing, with the passage of time, will be finally bringing a resolution to the problems in Northern Ireland. If you said 10 years ago the only thing this government will do is bring peace, then that's enough. The most catastrophic error is the war in Iraq. It has, in a sense, created a whole new generation of terrorists. | I think the most important single thing, with the passage of time, will be finally bringing a resolution to the problems in Northern Ireland. If you said 10 years ago the only thing this government will do is bring peace, then that's enough. The most catastrophic error is the war in Iraq. It has, in a sense, created a whole new generation of terrorists. |
| TONY JUNIPER, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH | TONY JUNIPER, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH |
| Tony Blair has made a significant positive contribution to the global debate on climate change, but this has been undermined by his failure to tackle emissions at home. Despite repeated promises of substantial cuts in carbon dioxide, his climate strategy has failed and UK emissions have actually risen under his leadership. | Tony Blair has made a significant positive contribution to the global debate on climate change, but this has been undermined by his failure to tackle emissions at home. Despite repeated promises of substantial cuts in carbon dioxide, his climate strategy has failed and UK emissions have actually risen under his leadership. |
| KATE HUDSON, CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT | KATE HUDSON, CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT |
| Many people were genuinely enthused by the promise of an "ethical foreign policy", but the reality has been that Tony Blair has taken this country into numerous wars, costing hundreds of thousands of lives, and with the renewal of Trident, threatens literally hundreds of millions more. | Many people were genuinely enthused by the promise of an "ethical foreign policy", but the reality has been that Tony Blair has taken this country into numerous wars, costing hundreds of thousands of lives, and with the renewal of Trident, threatens literally hundreds of millions more. |
| PAUL KENNY, GMB TRADE UNION | |
| The challenge now for the Labour party is to find a new direction and to restore the idealism, energy and vision which brought the party to power in 1997, or face defeat and the political wilderness for a long time. | |
| DAVE PRENTICE, UNISON TRADE UNION | |
| Tony Blair has chalked up a remarkable and historic achievement - no one can deny that. His government delivered many positive changes including record investment in our public services, reduced unemployment, a minimum wage, maternity rights, moves to end the two-tier workforce, anti-discrimination laws and a strong economy. Unfortunately, our union had to part company with the prime minister over Iraq and its tragic consequences. |