The Daily Fix Extra: World reaction to Blair

Some headlines, opinion pieces and thoughts from around the world.

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial: Britain After Blair - Who is Gordon Brown?

After more than 10 years at 10 Downing Street, he will leave behind a Britain that has bolstered its standing in Europe, solidified its role as one of America's closest allies and built London into a global financial hub. His Labour successor will be hard-pressed to do as well.

Kevin Sullivan in Washington Post: Briton's decade of achievements dimmed by embrace of Bush and Iraq War

At the same time, those who know Blair well said he believes that Britain is best served by a prime minister who keeps an airtight relationship with the U.S. president and stays "inside the tent" with him to influence policy. He established such a close relationship with President Bill Clinton that many American observers were surprised when he hit it off so quickly with Bush, Clinton's political opposite. But Blair was just being consistent.

Geoffrey Wheatcroft in Slate: Why do Brits dislike Tony Blair?

Although the religious faith worn on his sleeve would seem normal enough in an American politician, it's perplexing in a country where Church of England services are now attended by less than 2 percent of the population, but even that seemed at least authentic.

Alan Cowell in International Herald Tribune: Brown about to take over in Britain - but who is he?

Brown's manner is far from the silver-tongued smoothness of Blair, once nicknamed Teflon Tony. Indeed, with somewhat faint praise, Blair has likened his successor to "a great clunking fist" of a politician who will lead Labour into battle against the polished Conservative leader, David Cameron.

A. N. Wilson in the New York Times: A player who never found his stage

Being a man of quick though skin-deep intelligence, Mr. Blair found out very quickly that there are in fact fewer and fewer areas over which British politicians, perhaps any politicians, have control in today’s world.

Comments

[Candadai Tirumalai]

I know that this was probably his kiss of political death but I think it can be said that Tony Blair is probably the best liked non-American political leader in America, even when people do not like his Iraq policy or know little of his domestic policy. They love his crisp enunciation, his fluency (which offers a remarkable contrast with the linguistic contortions of George Bush), and what they call his British accent. Churchill was and continues to be a towering figure in the American consciousness (when someone wishes to dramatize or clinch a point he quotes Churchill); then came Margaret Thatcher, whose admiration of the United States warmed many American hearts; and then Tony Blair.

[David Vinter]

THE TITLE FOR BLAIRS MEMOIRES?

"NOW YOU SEE IT----NOW YOU DON'T !"

[S White]

In 10 years this man destroyes Britain as we knew it, he opened a pandoras box, in both Iraq and Britain, all our standards of decency were dumbed down to the lowest common denominator.we have ferral children on our streets causing both death and fear in fractured communities. Divided the Union with his mish mash of devolution.I hope him and his wife stay on the lecture circuit fot the rest of their time, the Americans are welcome to them..