In the history of twentieth century Britain, one statesman stood head and shoulders above all others, and will be remembered longer than any. Winston Churchill. Churchill, an aristocrat from the old English "establishment", was the Prime Minister who cemented Britain together, and bound nations together in an alliance which managed, through "blood, toil, tears and sweat," ¹, to stand up to Hitler and overcome fascism in Europe and the wider world.

In the last few weeks, since September 11th, Britain seems to have found its new Churchill, in the person of Tony Blair. Like Churchill, Blair has shown himself to be at his best in times of crisis, and since the World Trade Centre collapsed in an orgy of death and destruction, his name has never been out of the news. In the media on both sides of the Atlantic, he has been compared to Churchill both for his words and for his actions, and in Britain his popularity has risen to unprecedented levels for a Prime Minister in office. In mid October, an opinion poll  in the Guardian newspaper showed Blair with an 88% approval rating - better than any other prime minister since opinion polls were first invented.

This is not Blair's first major crisis. In 1997, just a couple of months after becoming Prime Minister, he was faced with the national tragedy of the death of Princess Diana. With great success, he led Britain through its days of public and private grief, to emerge strengthened as a man and a leader.

This time the stakes are much higher; and since September 11th Blair has shown himself as a leader leading from the front, never from behind. He was, for instance, the first world leader to react in public to the destruction of the World Trade Center, pledging Britain in unequivocal terms to the fight back against international terrorism long before George Bush had said anything at all.

Since then, he has played a major role on the international scene, travelling to the Middle East, to Pakistan and India, to Europe, Russia and North America, cementing the international alliance against terrorism in a way that perhaps no American President could do. Far from being "America's poodle", Tony Blair, a man with five years' experience on the international stage, has played a vital role advising George Bush, a man with little experience in world affairs. With their very different backgrounds, the two leaders should not be expected to see eye to eye on all issues, yet at present Anglo-American solidarity is as firm as it was in the Clinton era. The exact role that Tony Blair has played in helping shape America's fight against international terrorism will not be known for many years - but analysts agree that he has certainly been a significant influence on Bush, countering calls from the "hawks" in the Bush administration for more aggressive acts of retaliation .

As well as being in many ways the most successful British Prime Minister for many decades, Blair is also the best-known politician in Europe. He is probably the one who has done more than any other to change the whole basis of left-of-centre politics in Europe; and although he himself did not invent the "Third Way" politics that is the driving force of his "New Labour" government, "Blairism" is now recognised throughout Europe, and has had a major influence on social-democratic parties in other countries, notably in Germany. Even in America, where European politicians are almost unknown to the vast majority of the population, Blair has acquired unprecedented status for a British prime minister; according to the Sunday Telegraph, a recent opinion poll showed that half of all Americans would vote for Blair if he were to run for president - far more than voted for either Bush or Gore last year.

Tony Blair is not just a politician, he is an inspired and inspiring one, a great public speaker, and a man who is recognised for his sincerity, even if he is sometimes criticised for "spin" and being out of touch with ordinary people. While socialist politics have traditionally been underlined by "ideologies", the key words in Blair's political language are "ideals" and "values"; and while most politicians try to sound sincere, people recognise that at heart Blair really is sincere. A devout Christian from a non-conformist background, his whole approach to politics differs from most modern politicians. In "The Blair Effect"², Denis Kavanagh describes Blair's politics as having "deep moral and ethical, rather than ideological roots" - which is perhaps why he was so ready, so quickly, to see the fight against terrorism as a fight against evil, not just as a fight against terrorists.

Because of his interest in religion, Blair is also probably the western leader with the greatest knowledge and understanding of Islam, a religion about which he has read a great deal since his years as a student at Oxford University. His understanding of the Islamic world could perhaps, in the months to come, prove to be his greatest asset as a world leader.

Strong leadership is a vital quality that can help a nation through times of crisis, and Tony Blair has clearly shown that, like Churchill in the 1940's, he is up to the mark. One must hope that like Churchill, as a key player in an international coalition, he can help see the current crisis through to a just and successful conclusion, in both military and humanitarian terms. Given the nature of the current conflict, it is not going to be easy.

Notes:
1. "I would say to the House (of Commons), as I have said to those who have joined this Government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat". Churchill, May 1940, in his speech on becoming Prime Minister.
2. Professor Dennis Kavanagh, in the introduction to Anthony Seldon (ed), The Blair Effect. Little Brown and Co., 2001.

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