Tony Blair : the long goodbye

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Summary

If he is to avoid an unpopular war in Iraq becoming his defining legacy, he must push through an ambitious program of radical public service reform. He wants to introduce choice, internal competiti...

If he is to avoid an unpopular war in Iraq becoming his defining legacy, he must push through an ambitious program of radical public service reform. He wants to introduce choice, internal competition and market systems throughout the NHS and education services, and regrets not being more radical sooner. Since the start of the year, Panorama has filmed behind the scenes at Westminster, as Number 10 aides struggle to strike a balance between Labour Party "core values" and the prime minister's new objectives. Many Labour MPs are in open revolt over his Education White Paper and, if the prime minister needs Tory support to get it through, it could cripple his authority and speed his own departure. Nobody expects Mr Blair to leave office as distressed as Mrs. Thatcher - but can he achieve a legacy as historic as hers?

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