Blair Was a 'Conviction' Politician, say Christian Socialists
The Christian Socialist Movement has paid tribute to Prime Minister Tony Blair who announced on Thursday that he will step down from office on 27 June after 10 years in power.
by Maria Mackay
Posted: Friday, May 11, 2007, 12:59 (BST)
The Christian Socialist Movement has paid tribute to Prime Minister Tony Blair who announced on Thursday that he will step down from office on 27 June after 10 years in power.
Blair announced his departure in a speech to party members in his Sedgefield constituency on Thursay in which he said it was up to other people to decide whether he had mistakes, but said he had always done what he thought was "right".
"I may have been wrong. That's your call.
"But believe one thing if nothing else, I did what I thought was right for our country. And I came into office with high hopes for Britain's future, and, you know, I leave it with even higher hopes for Britain's future.
"Actually I've been lucky and very blessed. And this country is a blessed nation.
"The British are special - the world knows it, in our innermost thoughts we know it. This is the greatest nation on earth," he said.
The Christian Socialist Movement praised Blair for speaking openly about his Christian faith throughout his time as prime minister.
"Tony Blair has made no secret of his Christian faith and its importance to him, and Christian values have clearly informed government policies in the area of the minimum wage, giving pensioners, children and working families a better deal, and tackling global poverty," said the Director of CSM, Andrew Bradstock.
"Even where Mr Blair's actions have drawn criticism from the churches - for example, over Iraq - he has clearly shown himself to be a 'conviction' politician, driven by a concern to do what he believed to be right."
Church leaders have also paid tribute to Blair, particularly his achievements in Northern Ireland, although Iraq has remained a sore point with many.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said, "The Church of England, in common with all people of faith, is grateful that over the past ten years the Prime Minister has refused the demands of some to close down the space in our society within which both vigorous debate and the full diversity of religious conviction can find voice and be expressed."
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said that while he "fundamentally disagreed" with Tony Blair over the invasion of Iraq, he praised Blair for upholding the right to public debate.
"Tony Blair always welcomed what he termed 'prophetic wisdom' from the Church on matters of state, even where such wisdom took the form of criticism or disagreement.
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Added: Sunday, May 13, 2007, 19:59 (BST)
As the Government PR department goes into overdrive trying to airbrush Tony Blair's real legacy in the world media. I would like to share my own thoughts on his legacy looking at his record on some 'moral issues' over the last ten years, which are probably a more accurate measure of how he and his government have affected British society over the last ten years:
TONY BLAIR'S MORAL LEGACY
Tony Blair has led a Government that has shown no respect whatsoever for Christian values, not once in 10 yrs of government, as far as I can see.
When it comes to any moral issues like reviewing outdated abortion laws, he sits on the fence or even worse votes with the atheist view.
Women are often 'coerced' by government funded clinics into abortions without any proper counselling or being allowed the time to consider other alternatives. Also without consideration to the lasting, spiritual, mental and emotional consequenses on the woman, sometimes for the rest of her life.
The morning after pill and condoms dished out to young teenagers like sweets; by our schools, colleges, universities, family planning clinics, chemist, supermarket pharmacist etc often without counselling, without proper sex education (no talk of responsibility or lasting loving relationships). No wonder we have one of the highest sexual transmitted desease rates in the world amongst our young people. Not to mention the highest pregnancy and abortion rates in Europe, also in this age group.
His Government has used political correctness to try and control society.
His Government introduced multiculturalism, that has also divided the nation and created religious and cultural ghettos.
His Government through devolution, has broken up the union and divided the nation leading to a rise in English, Scottish and Welsh nationalism.
His Government have introduced at least nine new gay rights laws and repeatedly bowed down to the militant gay rights lobby, even if it means riding roughshod over the beliefs and values of faith communities and the silent majority to appease them.
His Government did absolutely nothing to support family values, in fact it seems it did everything they could to undermine the traditional family. (You know one father, one mother, married to one another and children brought up in a secure and loving environment, or is it not politically correct now to mention such an antiquated grouping!)
Tony Blair might claim to be religious but he is not a Christian on the evidence I can see.
He will be judged by his actions not his glib claims.
Simon Icke, Aylesbury UK
