The What-ifs of the Blair-Brown Journey

On the day that Tony Blair’s memoirs are published, many people like me may be wondering, “what if?”

What would have happened if the then Prime Minister and his Chancellor had been able to work together harmoniously and professionally during all those Blair years in power? It is clear now that plans for far-reaching reform were blocked by Gordon Brown, and that at times the acrimony between the two men was such that it paralysed the work of government and possibly undermined the well-being of the country. It is remarkable that so little was known about this publicly until now.

It is all in the past now and “what ifs” are irrelevant. However, past events can teach us much. The Blair-Brown story is an excellent example of karma at work, about how negativity and ill-intent, misuse of power, deception, hubris and subjectivity for personal gain result in natural justice, plain for all to see now. 

There are many shades of light and dark in all of this on all sides and it is not for me to judge the rights and wrongs particularly since I do not know all the facts at all levels. As information emerges now, my overwhelming sense is of compassion for two gifted men who had so many human frailties. It must have been exhausting to live through those times, and to have to deal with the speculation then and the revelations now must have been and be, immensely challenging. It takes courage to choose to be in the public eye.

For Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, their time in office may be remembered for their feud and not for their achievements. It was their choice for it to be that way, but I wonder if they too sometimes think, “What if?”