Third Way values?

Abstract

Ever since the inception of New Labour, Blair and his project have been widely accused of being purely pragmatic and ‘not believing in anything’. There is thus no little irony in the fact that, on the issue of Iraq, Blair gave his most forceful demonstration of conviction-based leadership; yet it is this very conviction that may tarnish his legacy forever. As Martin Jacques observes:

On this Blair abandoned his normal timidity and caution, ignored the focus groups, took on his opponents and argued his case. It is the only occasion that Blair has behaved like Thatcher as a political leader … His only resort to political boldness, though, could not have been a bigger miscalculation: Iraq will stand as his epitaph.¹