Blair spins out of control

This may sound like a stupid question, but who determines what one person's legacy becomes?

According to the Cambridge Online dictionary, it is 'something that is a part of your history or which stays from an earlier time'. But who determines whether that legacy is a good or a bad thing?

And, more worryingly, why is taxpayers' money being used to pay for people around Tony Blair to dream up ways he can leave a positive lasting impression on the British public?

The memo in the Mirror earlier this week, hilarious as it was, wasn't so much an exit strategy for Tony Blair as the political version of a lap of honour for the political version of Sunderland Football Club.

Over the course of TB's season in the top-flight, having comfortably knocked the spots off rivals to take New Labour into the big time, we've had one disappointment after another.

Yet his cronies, who, due to security reasons, I would guess are the only people he gets to spend any time with, believe they make sure Tony leave on high, leaving the 'public wanting for more.' He's 'the star who won't even play that final encore.'

And it's Blair who accuses the media of being obsessed with his leaving date! Surely an appearance on Blue Peter (much as it would be amusing to see the po-faced lobby correspondents all sitting on beanbags in the background) and a tour of Britain's top 20 buildings won't make people forget the problems of late?

Iraq. Tuition fees. Afghanistan. America. NHS cuts. Congestion charging. None of those make for a proud legacy in my opinion.

But a Labour supporter might argue Iraq needed sorting, tuition fees help universities create better graduates, Afghanistan tackled the war on terror, our relationship with America has helped trade, and NHS cuts only come as result of local mismangement of the massive funds put in by Labour. Congestion charging, well, how else do we save the planet?

Which proves my point. Blair's legacy, in my opinion may be one thing, but to the next man, or woman, it might be something totally different. We see Churchill as a hero, yet the British public kicked him out shortly after the end of the second world war.

Blair will never go down in history as a Churchill. Sure, the War on Terror has come our doorstep, but have Blair's actions ended it? No. Has he gone a long way to sorting it? Different people have different views, and regardless of how many appearances he does on Newsround or Desert Islands Discs, those around Blair won't be able to spin opinions formed over the last decade.

What this latest memo serves to do is prove that, despite the general disdain for spin, those around Blair still convince him it is possible to turn the truth on its head and hide the bad things. You can't spin history - Blair should know that. And if he doesn't, you have to question how he ever ended up behind the door of number 10 int he first place.