The Rise and Fall of Tony Blair
In a landmark two-part series, the policies and personality of the man who ruled Britain for a decade are examined by Andrew Rawnsley, one of the most authoritative chroniclers of New Labour.
Episodes2
Part 1
This charts Blair's first two terms as Prime Minister, which began with the huge parliamentary landslide that swept him into power. Andrew Rawnsley, the award-winning broadcaster, author and commentator, shows that Blair was hugely daunted by power and arrived at Number 10 with deep inner anxieties about whether he was up to being Prime Minister. He soon found that his promises were not matched by detailed strategies to fulfil them.
Part 2
Andrew Rawnsley's second film examines Tony Blair's attempts to deliver on his public service pledges of improving schools and healthcare, and his deteriorating relationship with Gordon Brown. The programme charts Blair's final months in power, the growing clamour for his departure timetable and the semi-coup orchestrated by his own chancellor. It also looks at one of Blair's most notable achievements: the negotiation of a historic agreement between the rival factions in Northern Ireland.