Inside Politics | LETTER FROM LONDON | June 20 - 26, 2007
Blair Legacy: Domestic delivery and cute foreign strategy
Joseph Ochieno
When a young Tony Blair stormed number 10 Downing Street as the new
British Prime Minister after a landslide election victory on May 1st 1997, his
key message was underlined by his famous three-word emphasis on ' education,
education, education'. It was the best election results ever, for the Labour
Party, against the Conservative Party's (Tories) worst since 1836.
And focusing on education for his people, he delivered. Today core
state funding per school pupil has risen by 48%, (55% next year). 1,106 new
schools have been built and thousands others fully refurbished. Teachers' pay
has risen by 18% and school heads by 27%. These are real term increase in
pounds sterling, not devalued shillings.
On health, Blair launched the largest hospital building and
refurbishment programme since the creation of the National Health Service (NHS)
in 1948. More doctors, nurses and other health workers were recruited, trained,
and their pay substantially enhanced.
The hospital waiting lists, which ranked the UK far, lower than its
developed competitors like France, Germany and Sweden were all but wiped out.
Anyone now walks into an accident and emergency unit in any hospital and is
guaranteed a doctor's attention - free of charge.
The British economy has enjoyed the longest sustained growth since
the Second World War, eclipsing France as the fourth largest economy in the
world; Chancellor Gordon Brown once again talks about full employment. Yes,
full employment where job availability match or exceed the number of people of
working age, able and available for work. Using proceeds from a one-off tax
windfall from 'privatised utilities', money was injected into employment to
ensure that all young long-term unemployed were trained, skilled and matched to
jobs.
According to author Richard North, the traditional Labour Party
heartlands are genuinely, 'genetically anti-colonial, anti-military and
anti-America'. Why else would former Blair 'babe' Clare Short shine so high as
Secretary of State for International Development when the brains behind the
wheel were Brown, a bit of Blair and other friends of Africa like Harriet
Harman?
It is no wonder that Ms Short's replacement Hilary Benn, a fine
man, partly because of the positive profile that comes with the ministry, is
now a close favourite to take over as deputy leader in an election due next
week, followed by another genuine friend, Harriet Harman.
And credit to them, aid to Africa, though not the solution to our
problems, has substantially been increased, debt-cancellation has helped fund
universal primary education in some countries were leaders claim as if the
monies are from their pockets.
It was under Blair that Britain had the first cabinet minister of
African decent Paul Boateng, leader of the House of Lords Valerie Amos, more
women parliamentarians and ministers, first trip by a serving British PM and
even hosted an African tea party at Downing Street, something unimaginable
under the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher only 15 years ago. Moreover,
without a goat ranch or global AIDS funds stashed in foreign bank accounts, he
is voluntarily joining the Nelson Mandela club at the tender age of 54.
Against this background alone, for an average British citizen, the
Blair government is the best thing to have happened to their country in recent
times.
But now that Blair is stepping down for Gordon Brown on 27th June
2007 (lucky Brits, easy transition), as an African observer from within, I
ponder with mixed feelings, perhaps influenced by three key words: Iraq,
Uganda, Zimbabwe.
Blair joined George Bush in a UN-declared 'illegal war' in Iraq.
The war is so unpopular even in Britain that it has swept away the euphoria
that greeted his arrival in office and with it, the successes he delivered both
at home and abroad.
On Uganda, through Ms Short, who was building on the foundations of
Lynda Chalker and others like William Pike, continued to entrench militarism
and dictatorship in my homeland, making and baptising Museveni among the so
called 'new breed of African leaders' together with Kagame, Zenawi and Afwerki.
Whether that baptism was with holy water, blood or African sweat, the jury is
out.
Finally, on Zimbabwe and ironically again through Ms Short, they
sparked off a row that has nearly brought the once prosperous southern African
country to its knees. Reason? Failure of diplomacy. Whereas British ministers
and officials always told us (only UPC was then lobbying and campaigning
against dictatorship) that they were engaged in quiet diplomacy and pressure on
Museveni, in Zimbabwe not only was diplomatic etiquette thrown off the window
but every available resources and media pressure were applied to show who was
boss.
But it did not have to be. On 2nd October 2001 when Blair made his
famous Party conference speech in Brighton, I was a visitor. I wrote an opinion
piece for the African Times (UK), in which I shared the secret of ' I could not
believe my ears', despite the tip from a friend that something tough on African
dictators was due.
Promising partnership with Africa, Mr Blair was to say, "The state
of Africa is a scar on the conscious of the world. But if the world as a
community focused on it, we could heal it.and if we don't, it will become
deeper and angrier". I agreed. "But it is a deal", he said, tickling me even
more. "On Africa's side of the deal was 'true democracy, no more excuses for
dictatorship, abuses of human rights; no tolerance of bad governance, from
endemic corruption of some states.".
Returning from Brighton, I thought the fruits of our 15-year
campaign were shortly due. And Dr. Milton Obote quickly put Mr. Blair to task
on hypocrisy and double standards, in a personal letter dated 22nd March 2002,
"The credibility of the Commonwealth is on the Line with the policy to punish
perceived violation of governance in Zimbabwe while, at the same time ignoring
the total and glaring banishment of good governance in Uganda".
A year later, Zimbabwe was to be suspended from the Commonwealth
while Uganda, a military-cum one party state, was blessed with hosting their
Summit in 2007. What hypocrisy!
So while some Liberians and Sierra Leoneans are celebrating the
indictment of former president Charles Taylor, what about Rwandese, Congolese,
Barundi victims of invasion and occupation and Ugandan victims of militarism?
Could it be summed up by Mr. Blair's own statement at the launch of his
Commission for Africa on March 11th 2005? Said he, "On Africa, I fear my own
conscience and I fear the judgment of future generations".
I have had the opportunity to meet both Mr. Blair and Gordon Brown.
They are fine leaders, visionary and driven by faith, certainly among the best
politicians of this generation.
Attempting objectivity, a simple conclusion comes to mind: Mr.
Blair's mission in Iraq was not based on his hate for Arabs, Islam or for that
matter, desire for war. It was genuinely and strategically motivated by British
interest as the number one ally of the US, the geopolitics of the Gulf and its
real or perceived benefits to British posterity. In Zimbabwe, the immediate
victims were neither Uganda's Acholi, Langi, nor were they Congolese.
Africans; get real, get positively jealous and start building for
the future; whether it is China, Russia, the European Union or America, there
is yet no foreign policy on Africa - only strategic interest.
Joseph Ochieno is the UPC Special Presidential Envoy to the United
Kingdom & Ireland. Email : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas
"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"
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