Toxic legacy of Blair’s wars

It would also be wrong to reject totally Mr Blair’s critique of the Middle East crisis. He had the misfortune to be the Prime Minister at the time of the 9/11 attacks and his analysis is far more detailed than the passive responses, to date, of David Cameron and President Barack Obama.

Yet, while the former Labour leader believes that the West’s lack of resolve is to blame for the tyranny in Syria and now the insurgency in Iraq, he needs to recognise that his desire for military intervention is not widely shared and that the current crisis has been fuelled, in part, by the divisiveness and ineffectiveness of Nouri Maliki’s administration in Baghdad.

It is the breakdown in the supposed sectarian power-sharing arrangements that has created a poisonous vacuum which has led to Isis – a radical offshoot of al-Qaida – making sweeping territorial gains.

In this regard, President Obama’s caution is understandable. The West needs to give the elected Maliki administration a chance to rebuild its administration that is more inclusive of Iraq’s rival tribes before considering the merit – or otherwise – of military airstrikes. There is also an unexpected opportunity to build a more constructive dialogue with Iran.

Yet this will not happen unless America starts to show far more urgency. And the repercussions do not end here. For, given the speed of Iraq’s disintegration, should Nato be pulling out from Afghanistan later this year and giving the Taliban a chance to regroup after so much bloodshed? In this regard, Tony Blair’s wars are entering a dangerous new phase and all options need to be kept open.

Financial fair play: Teaching personal responsibility

THIS country continues to be in the debt of those senior citizens who have had the financial wisdom and astuteness to save sufficient money for their retirement. Without their savviness, Britain’s pensions crisis would be even greater.

Yet, despite this being the most educated generation thanks to the advent of the internet, it appears to be one of the least informed when it comes to financial matters – whether it be investing in pensions, shopping around for the lowest energy tariff or having a better understanding of

the nuances of interest rates.

This is borne out by the latest intervention of Dr Ros Altmann, a regular contributor to The Yorkshire Post’s comment pages, who is now advocating the creation of a ‘national wealth service’ to help families to maximise their income for the duration of their lives.

With pensions policy in a constant state of flux, and adverse publicity surrounding various sharp practices dissuading many younger people from putting sufficient money aside, Dr Altmann is entirely right to highlight the need for “a revolution in the provision of financial education” – information needs to be made available far more effectively.

The challenge is informing people of their obligations when so

many youngsters struggle to grasp basic maths, and when business studies constitutes such a small element of the school curriculum.

Yet its importance should not be under-estimated. For, unless issues like pensions are taken more seriously, the current vacuum has the potential to leave all taxpayers out of pocket in the future.

First past the post: Macmillan raceday raises £6m

AT THE end of another pulsating weekend of sport, the biggest winner was, arguably, Macmillan Cancer Support after the amount of money raised by its annual raceday at York broke through the £6m barrier thanks to the 28,300 racegoers who contributed another six-figure sum to the charity’s coffers.

Now in its 44th year, this is a fundraising event like no other. The most significant in Macmillan’s calendar of events, its longevity pre-dates the charity’s famous coffee mornings – the first raceday took part at Doncaster in 1971, where the Queen was present to watch her horse Charlton (named after the World Cup-winning brothers) prevail on Town Moor, before switching to York 12 months later.

It also shows how sporting venues and clubs can be great forces for good. For, while some punters will have bemoaned their luck, their losses pale into insignificance when compared to the heartbreak of a loved one being struck down with cancer and requiring the compassion of charities like Macmillan.