9. Tony Blair (Part 2): Controversies and Consequences

Tony Blair served as Labour leader from 1994 to 2007.

Whilst electorally successful, his legacy, in the Labour Party and in the country, remains divisve.

This episode explores three key controversial aspects of his legacy - which have had longlasting impacts on the country:

• The Iraq war
• EU policy
• Immigration policy

Explore Blair's controversies, and the consequences of them, with brilliant guests: Sally Morgan, David Blunkett, Patrick Wintour, Anthony Seldon, Clare Short, Andrew Grice, John Rentoul, Stephen Wall, Richard Corbett, Maya Goodfellow and Nick Pearce.

Leading Labour is researched, presented and produced by Izzy Conn - find me on:

LinkedIn: Izzy Conn

X/Twitter: @izzy_conn_

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Edited by Will Barber-Taylor, host of the Debated Podcast.

LinkedIn: Will Barber-Taylor

X/Twitter: @WBarberTaylor

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Artwork by Izzy Conn.

Music by Rykard From.

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Find out more about the Institute of Historical Research here.

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LINKS

Thanks so much for listening – and thanks to the brilliant guests that we heard from today: Sally Morgan, David Blunkett, Patrick Wintour, Anthony Seldon, Clare Short, Andrew Grice, John Rentoul, Stephen Wall, Richard Corbett, Maya Goodfellow and Nick Pearce.

Sally Morgan, former Downing Street Director of Government Relations. 

David Blunkett, Education Secretary 1997-2001, and Home Secretary 2001-4, author of The Blunkett Tapes: My Life in the Bear Pit (2006).

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/blunkett-tapes-book-david-blunkett-9780747589310?sku=GOR001959143&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17415898947&gbraid=0AAAAADZzAIARm_pRiLMB22jWBb4_WFInY&gclid=CjwKCAjwiNXFBhBKEiwAPSaPCXWJsaQlzUDDEOfBFzJ0GGqXDOi_OBTYuwFNRS_vghqiDPAV45imNRoC3V0QAvD_BwEhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/books/futures-of-socialism/7EBE9FB7D4BFD38219BCD751C2F941BB

Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic Editor, Guardian.

Anthony Seldon, historian, and author of Blair (2003). 

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/blair-book-anthony-seldon-9780743232128 

Clare Short, former Secretary of State for International Development, and author of An Honourable Deception?: New Labour, Iraq, and the Misuse of Power (2005).

https://www.waterstones.com/book/an-honourable-deception/clare-short/9780743263931 

Andrew Grice, former Independent Political Editor.

John Rentoul, Chief Political Commentator, Independent, and co-author of Heroes or Villains?: The Blair Government Reconsidered (2019).

https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9780198862819/heroes-or-villains?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22269009095&gbraid=0AAAAADocATD7QNJ3aYp7iaw3rDpt4vvs1&gclid=CjwKCAjwiNXFBhBKEiwAPSaPCYQN-NQNkvrEQlJbZ8AdHlH1IUeDfXPAHM7slb4LM42szFSU2G2KBRoCesUQAvD_BwE- https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781847251695/Prime-Ministers-Whitehall-1960-74-Davis-1847251692/plp

Stephen Wall, Former Ambassador, Political Expert and Historian, and author of Reluctant European: Britain and the European Union from 1945 to Brexit (2020).

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/reluctant-european-9780198840671?cc=gb&lang=en& 

Richard Corbett, former Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, and co-author of The European Parliament (2024).

https://www.johnharperpublishing.co.uk/the-european-parliament/ 

Maya Goodfellow, journalist and academic, and author of Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Became Scapegoats (2019).

https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/777-hostile-environment?srsltid=AfmBOor5VLJQP6brLdvFL9vbcBjD2-YPV-vV-E50E5mwemeJl7DSDGgJ