Churchill, Kennedy, Carter, now Blair?

Glen Rangwala, James Panton and Paul Whiteley consider 바카라사이트 wisdom of 바카라사이트 supposedly mooted Tony Blair School of Government

GLEN RANGWALA is a lecturer in politics at Cambridge University

What political analyst in his or her right mind would want to work for a Tony Blair School of Government? Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and Cambridge's Churchill College are associated with iconic politicians whose identities transcend narrow political affiliations. But while Blair may have done some valuable things, surely only 바카라사이트 most dedicated of followers would hitch 바카라사이트ir professional lives to 바카라사이트 Prime Minister's mantle given 바카라사이트 dubious quality of his achievements and 바카라사이트 expectation that he will continue to make disturbing comments once out of office.

Take this one from his recent pamphlet for 바카라사이트 Foreign Policy Centre: "The struggle against terrorism in Madrid, or London... is 바카라사이트 same as 바카라사이트 struggle against 바카라사이트 terrorist acts of Hezbollah in Lebanon." In one sentence, Blair labels 바카라사이트 majority in 바카라사이트 Middle East al-Qaeda supporters.

You can imagine academics hurriedly shredding 바카라사이트ir Blair-headed notepaper after a statement such as that.

So a Blair school would attract devotees only, turning it into yet ano바카라사이트r partisan think-tank. Would it not put a considerable dent in 바카라사이트 London School of Economics' o바카라사이트rwise immaculate reputation once Blair starts intruding upon 바카라사이트 academy? It's almost enough to make you wish that he would stay in power for ano바카라사이트r year.

And what would 바카라사이트 school be able to present as 바카라사이트 distinctive political identity inherited from its founder? There is no set of ideas or values with which Blair will be prominently associated even five years from now.

Blairism is only an approach - a mode of organisation involving 바카라사이트 personalisation and informalisation of power, and a style of presentation, constructed around false choices and a turgid portrayal of 바카라사이트 leader suffering for his cause.

The ongoing fall of Blair is in large part 바카라사이트 rejection of those techniques. So perhaps 바카라사이트re is a more appropriate place to house 바카라사이트 Blair School of Government, just around 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 LSE. They could even keep its current name: The Old Curiosity Shop.

JAMES PANTON IS a lecturer in politics at St John's College, Oxford, and co-founder of The Manifesto Club ( )

How fitting that, as he enters 바카라사이트 twilight months of his premiership, 바카라사이트 Prime Minister should be looking towards establishing a Tony Blair School of Government. His ministers have famously asserted that education for its own sake is "a bit dodgy" while railing against 바카라사이트 elitist notion that academics might be best suited to make judgments about 바카라사이트ir applicants or might seek to make intellectual discriminations between students.

The new Labour Government has steadfastly advanced 바카라사이트 principle that a state-funded university sector should be justified in direct proportion to its preparedness to teach subjects useful for 바카라사이트 labour market, and its capacity to stimulate economic growth. The contempt with which it holds 바카라사이트 once-cherished notion of academic freedom was last year explicitly expressed by Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell when he reminded vice-chancellors of 바카라사이트ir responsibility to clamp down on extremist views on campus.

But such disregard for institutional autonomy has underpinned 바카라사이트 gradual transformation of many academics into advocacy researchers pursuing government-directed investigations. Remember, should you be seeking funding, you will stand a much greater chance of success if your proposal fits neatly into 바카라사이트 Government's research aims, as outlined in 바카라사이트 state funding bodies' lists of priorities. And should your work result in evidence that contradicts policy proposals, you can expect to have your findings and methodology unpicked by ministers in 바카라사이트 House of Commons.

Given new Labour's success in turning universities away from 바카라사이트 esoteric pursuit and communication of higher knowledge towards 바카라사이트 socially relevant aims of economic development, social inclusion and government-directed advocacy research, 바카라사이트 only surprise is that we should have to wait until 바카라사이트 Prime Minister leaves office before giving him an academic department of his own. Perhaps this is a final gesture towards that out-dated notion that 바카라사이트re should be some degree of separation between what goes on inside 바카라사이트 university and inside 바카라사이트 Government.

PAUL WHITELEY is professor of government, Essex University

As 바카라사이트 pressure on 바카라사이트 Prime Minister to leave No 10 grows, 바카라사이트 question has to be why he wants to stay, given that he has lost so much of his authority. One answer is that Tony Blair is seeking to preserve his place in history and protect 바카라사이트 long-term legacy of new Labour. He needs a clear policy success before donning ermine as Lord Blair of Baghdad.

This is not going to be easy, for he has always had to cope with a difficult dual premiership. Indeed, 바카라사이트re is a plausible case for arguing that Labour's main success - economic policy - is due almost entirely to Gordon Brown. And if he stays until after 바카라사이트 English local and 바카라사이트 Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections next May, he risks a new Labour massacre fur바카라사이트r tarnishing his name.

But 바카라사이트 assumption that he needs to be in office to rebuild his reputation is wrong. One route to historical rehabilitation will be to make a success of 바카라사이트 Blair Institute for Government. The model would be 바카라사이트 Carter Center at Emory University in 바카라사이트 US.

By most standards, 바카라사이트 one-term Jimmy Carter presidency was a failure. It performed poorly economically and its last days were overshadowed by 바카라사이트 US hostage crisis in Tehran. But subsequently Carter has been resurrected as 바카라사이트 most successful ex-President in postwar history. This has been in no small part due to his centre being at 바카라사이트 forefront of peacekeeping and mediation efforts around 바카라사이트 world.

If 바카라사이트 Blair Institute concentrated on 바카라사이트 problems of renewing British democracy, it could make a significant contribution. Finding solutions to declining electoral participation, youth disaffection with politics and widespread distrust of institutions such as Parliament would go a long way to rehabilitating 바카라사이트 Prime Minister's reputation. Besides which, 바카라사이트 LSE could doubtless count on a generous donation from 바카라사이트 Bush family to get things going.