Tony Blair was described as “the Master” by envious political opponents. He changed the political flow on national and international issues. Due to this impact, the Blair legacy is strongly contested. The invasion of Iraq is the principal cause of this intense dispute.
The intensity of this debate has diminished with Britain’s election of a Labour Party to government that has re-embraced the value of winning elections from the political centre.
On this island, nearly all would acknowledge that his role in the Belfast Agreement and the Northern Ireland peace process was essential and extremely positive. The conclusion to his book, On Leadership, describes this achievement as a rare moment of joy.
Admirers hoping to learn secrets of political wizardry may be underwhelmed. This is the book of a mechanic, not a magician. It is all the better for it.
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Blair defines politics as “part philosophy, part performance and part practicality. The last is more mundane but it is the one which finally makes the difference”. This book is less about the “what” of politics, and more about the “how”.
This is a work for those who want to understand the plumbing of government, not the grandeur and glamour of governing.
The exception to this tone is the promotion of the leader to the Leader (a rather emphatic capital letter). Maybe it is my recent immersion in the songs of Taylor Swift, but it has an eerie resemblance to her song The Man that I could not shake from my mind.
Blair argues that artificial intelligence will reshape the operation of modern states and will offer unprecedented solutions to our most acute challenges
The first section of this book focuses on delivery, on how to deliver outcomes of value to citizens. The leader must identify the priorities of government so that “the basic direction will be set with such force that it will take a better plan to derail it”.
The sequence is clear: good policy will normally be good politics. A strong administrative centre co-ordinating and energising the bureaucracies of government is vital.
On Leadership is at its strongest in the prominence that Blair allots to the impact of technology on politics, economies and societies. He argues that artificial intelligence will reshape the operation of modern states and will offer unprecedented solutions to our most acute challenges.
This revolution will reshape everything. As he writes, “Nothing makes me wish I was back in government more than the potential of this revolution. It’s a great time to be governing.”
The author does not sufficiently analyse the need to maintain political consent for these technologies and offers little recognition of their disruptive effects that will require the most careful of management.
As expected, foreign policy receives much attention. Leaders take office expecting that domestic matters will dominate their agenda. International affairs, instead, absorb much time and energy.
Relations between countries can shape national policy. Trade decisions and the rivalry between great powers create interdependence between states. The name of a chapter sums up this fusion well: Foreign Policy is Becoming Domestic Policy.
Climate policy also has consequences that ignore national borders. This is now central to the political agenda of every political leader. From dealing with the consequences of extreme weather to the trade-offs and costs of moving to a lower-carbon future, these issues are at the top of any political in-tray.
This agenda does not receive the attention that it needs. This is a weakness of On Leadership, as there are few areas of political leadership more complex and important.
The most interesting passages are the more personal observations on the wielding and costs of power. The value of maintaining a private life is the subject of a chapter called The Hinterland. The last chapters about leaving office and protecting your legacy are poignant.
Warnings that “You are Never as Knowledgeable or as Smart as You Think You are” and the dangers of overcalculation point to the risks of hubris in the highest office. It is important to be humble about all you cannot and do not know.
The British philosopher and historian of ideas, Isaiah Berlin, observed in his famous lecture Political Judgement that, “In the realm of political action, laws are far and few indeed: skills are everything”.
The wisdom of this observation has only grown. The increased volatility in the life of nations causes the future to be always open with few certainties. This could be a cause of apprehension or optimism. I have always chosen the latter.
I suspect Blair believes the same. This book does not, therefore, propose any fixed laws. It is as helpful a guide as is possible for success in political life and not just survival. As the success of governments matters to more than those who serve in them, this book deserves to be read by more than the small group who aspire to be taoisigh or ministers.
Paschal Donohoe is Minister for Public Expenditure and president of the Eurogroup
