What Are Some Current Political Issues In Britain?

The current political scenario in the United Kingdom can be studied from two perspectives, namely the Thatcher era of the 1980's and the Blair era of the late-1990's and the millennium. While Margaret Thatcher established a hegemony in the United Kingdom during her 11-year long tenure, which included a patronising attitude towards some of the other countries of Europe, Tony Blair and his predecessor John Major are held responsible by many Britons for leading their country to war in the Middle East and for supporting the United States in their campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many people feel that Blair has made a mistake by taking a soft stand on crucial political issues which have beset Britain in the last decade or so that he has been in power.

While Thatcher was jokingly referred to as 'the last man to lead the United Kingdom', Blair is being lampooned in the media because he was unable to deal effectively (which meant taking firm stands) with the crises in Asia, the September 11 terrorist attacks, the domestic scandal involving his deputy John Prescott, 2005 London bombings, the controversial educational reforms, etc.