Few Britons will shed a tear when Tony Blair leaves the stage on Juny 27th after decade as prime minister, as he finally said  last month he would. Opinion polls have long suggested that he is unpopular. On May 3rd local and regional elections gave voters a last chance to give  Mr Blair a good kicking. They took in with both feet, handing power to Conservatives, Scottish nationalists, Welsh nationalists, anybody but distrusted Labour. Most wish he had gone last year - an opinion shared by his likely heir, Gordon Brown, who now faces a mighty srtugglw against David Cameron’s Tories.

Either Britons are an ungrateful lot, or Mr Blair deservs his shabby send-off for having delivered too little and dissapointed too much. The truth, as usual, is more complicated.

From Economist