What does the Blair victory mean?

[Montauk6]

Poll question: What does the Blair victory mean?

As a dumb American, I'll freely admit a not too sentient outsider's point of view. So, I look forward to any/all informed ideas, esp. from brother and sister DU'ers in the UK. But just to throw this out...

[communerd]

1. I went for option two- other than the war, Labour have done a decent job

But I'll admit there was a considerable element of option six involved; many believe the Lib Dems lack credibility, and the tories are well out in a very English freeperland all of their own.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

2. People like the Labour Party overall, but don't like Blair

This is why Labour won, but Blair's authority has been diminished. Many of the seats Labour lost were held by pro-war Blairite MPs. The balance of power in the Labour Party has switched back to the centre-left social democratic wing.

[Vladimir]

3. That Britain has an archaic and undemocratic voting system

and its high frigging time it got PR! Blair doesn't need to rig elections, under the current boundaries he can lose by as much as 3-5 percentage points to the Tories and still have a chance of forming government.

[T_i_B]

4. I think what a lot of people wanted...

...was Labour back with a vastly reduced majority, thus making them accountable. That's what we seem to have got now.

The Tories and Lib Dems are not considered to be any more likely to make for a better government by most people I think. Labour is the least worst option for many.

[non sociopath skin]

5. Programmes like Surestart and the money which has been seen ...

... to go into Schools and Hospitals hereabouts counted more than the War in this largely blue-collar area.

Our MP was anti-war but was pressurised by his Constituency Party to toe the Blair line. My opposition was seen as the other-worldliness of the Ivory Tower Intellectual.

Here, the LibDems are seen largely as the local Tories. And the real Tories are invisible.

The Skin

[D-Notice]

6. I chose no real alternative

as has already been said: no-one like the Tories & the Lib Dems aren't considered credible.

I almost chose other parties split the vote, as that's what appears to have happened - Labour have won quite a lot of seats by <2000 votes, which is nothing in election terms. If there had been fewer candidates in certain seats Labour would probably have a minority.

[Endangered Specie]

7. I guess when it comes down to it, economy is the most important issue...

Blair didnt get where he is by being an easy target