"I've always admired Tony Blair, and can't quite understand why there's so much disdain for him among UK Mudcatters."
Not just mMdcatters
He like Thatcher, Enoch Powell and others became an embarrassment to their parties and despised by the people for their having lied and conned their wat to the top
Blair (B-liar) lied about weapons of mass destruction and involved Britain in an oil war that continues to destabalise the planet   
Tories make a big thing of him being 'Labour' (see immediately above) bt, while he may have started his political life with socialist, he gradually becamme a career politician, swung sharp right and out Toried the worst aspects of the Tories
'New Labour' was to Labour ideals as 'National Socialism' was to the real socialism of providing a better life and equality of the People as a whole - a hi-jacking of a title - In some way as genuinely democratic as your own 'Democrats' (look up the true meaning of the term)
"why else would you be a Tory MP?"
Money !!!
Jim Carroll