Tony Blair rides high on wave of popularity

Probably because of his youth and vigor, Tony Blair continues to enjoy a great deal of support from the British people and high marks for his achievements. He is a politician who is skilled at perceiving key social trends and currents.

Decentralization of power, in which Blair allowed Scotland and Wales to establish their own parliaments, is a historic change in Britain's governmental system.

The idea of establishing a parliament for Northern Ireland, following his successful mediation to bring about peace for the territory, falls in the same context.

This policy reflects the idea that centralized governments have become less effective when viewed against the backdrop of contemporary international society, symbolized by the post-Cold War era, the liberal economy and small government.

-- Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo