The mixed fortune of Tony Blair as PM

THE BLUNDER: Blair took UK to Iraq war, alongside the US, just on the basis of deception.

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London: Tony Blair has finally decided to step down on June 27 as the Prime Minister of Britain after remaining on the chair for 10 years.

"Well, I think any body of citizens get bored with a leader going on and on. And paradoxically, that leader runs rather a good and efficient government," said Prof Rodney Barker from London School of Economics.

Whatever Blair's achievements, he will be finally judged by his decision to go to war in Iraq alongside the US.

"The problem with Iraq was – as many people predicted – it is been a disaster. Add it to that the widespread feeling – not just in UK but the governments of the US and UK – took their countries to war on the basis of deception," said Barker.

That is not what he is going for at the moment.

"No, he is not going for that mistake. But the combination of a man who is been in office for 10 years, a man whose reputation has been mismatched by one part of his foreign policy – the close association with George W Bush and invasion of Iraq. All of these together means that his time had come," Barker said.

Tony Blair leaves after ten years as Prime Minister – and that might just have been the issue, that it's ten years and he's Tony Blair.

Ironically, he is not going for his one big mistake – Iraq. The party looking for a change of personality, not policy.