Discuss whether Tony Blair has been a presidential.
A presidential system of government is characterised by a constitutional and political separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of government. The assembly thus vests executive power in an independently elected president who is not directly accountable to or removable. The principle features of a presidential system are the following: the executive and the legislature are separately elected, and each is invested with a range of independent constitutional powers. The roles of head of state and head of government (the chief executive) are combined in the office of the presidency. Executive Authority is concentrated in the hands of the president, the cabinet and ministers being merely advisers responsible to the president. There is formal separation of the personnel of the legislative and the executive branches (except in semi-presidential systems). And, electoral terms are fixed. The president can neither 'dissolve' the legislature nor be dismissed by it (except through impeachment).
Tony Blair, shining new leader, and, in the wake of his victory, with the political world at his feet. His approval ratings soared in the summer and autumn of 1997 to 93 per cent, exceeding those of any post-war Prime Minister. Then things began slowly to cool and a more measured public view began to emerge in 1998. Prominent among the criticisms of Blair have been accusations of: betraying Labour values (wags have been pointed out a part anagram of Tony Blair MP reads 'I'm a Tory'): arrogance; love of power; and ideas above his station as a democratic premier. Some of these will be explored below.
'He has no ideas of his own but has merely hijacked Conservative ones': Far from donating his own vision, Blair merely annexed existing Conservative or Thatcherite thinking and called it 'New' Labour policy. Blairism is therefore Thatcherism in disguise.
