“Thank you…”
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[4th March, 2007 - the page - "You're the future now, so make the most of it" has been merged into this page.]
Click the arrow to watch the video below
His words - “Wherever I go, whatever I do, I’m with you…” - made me think of this song - “I will be right here waiting for you…whatever it takes or how my heart breaks…”
Click here to view more Tony Blair videos
Valedictory Speech - 26th September, 2006
The Labour Party Leader, (oh, and OUR Prime Minister too), has completed his valedictory speech to the faithful thanking them for allowing him to lead them for the last 12 years. And in true leadership style, which he has in spades, Mr Blair poured oil over troubled waters in his wide-ranging speech. It was beautifully crafted as usual from this consummate performer whose class and stage-presence is unmatched in this country’s politics. Even in his departure, his thoughts were not on any residual bitterness, past or present, although they could so easily have been. He pressed all the right buttons and he even joked about “not having to worry about Cherie running off with the bloke next door”.
Charisma and Political Nous - a rare combination
OK, so here comes my little trademark phrase which I use on such puerile pages as the Guardian’s “Comment Is Free” just to let the afflicted know that there are still SOME of us who don’t want to see Blair hanged, drawn and quartered.
He has more charisma and nous oozing out of the knife-wounds in his back than any other British politician of his generation.
Labour’s suicide by regicide (sorry if this sounds a bit melodramatic) is desperately sad to watch even for me, not a party member.
To the next PM - you have a hard act to follow.
Tony Blair Videos (open in Real Player or Windows Media)
Short clip from Conference (3 mins 19 secs)
“The truth is you can’t go on forever … and of course it’s hard to let go…”
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Sky News clips (12 mins 37 secs)
“Above all else I want to thank the British people. Not just for the honour of being Prime Minister, but for the journey of progress that we’ve travelled together. Leaders lead, but in the end it’s the people who deliver.”
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Full speech BBC (56 mins 23 secs)
“This terrorism isn’t our fault, we didn’t cause it, it’s not the consequence of foreign policy … and it preys on every conflict and it exploits every grievance, and its victims are mainly Muslim. This is not our war against Islam, this is a war fought by extremists who pervert the true faith of Islam.”
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Speech at Los Angeles World Affairs Council 1st August, 2006 (39 m 16 s)
Read the L.A. WAC speech by Tony Blair (in pdf)
“There is an arc of extremism”. ” What are the values that govern the future of this world? Our values… represent humanity’s progress throughout the ages and at each point we have had to fight for them. This war can only be won by showing that our values are stronger, better and more just, than the alternative.”
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Original post - “You’re the future now, so make the most of it” (26th September 2006)
Updated - 28 February, 2007
Today, with Alan Milburn and Charles Clarke having an MPs’ get-together to discuss the “future of the party” amidst concerns about Brown’s evident walk into Number 10, can I respectfully suggest that they get down on their knees and beg Tony Blair to stay?
Gerald Kaufman said in September that a bit of humble thanks should have been due to Blair by his recalcitrant party. Keeping him NOW must be in the minds of a few today. Go on guys and gals - he might just say “yes”!
Tony Blair’s Last Leader’s Speech to Conference - 26th September, 2006
Mad? MAD?!
Labour must be stark raving bonkers!
What a speech! Surely the party delegates in Manchester listening to the PM finally realised what they were about to do?
To a man and woman the political pundits are agreed that the Prime Minister’s speech was peerless. Well constructed, hitting the right note for the occasion, graceful, articulate and …. well, you know the rest. We’ve known for years what oratorical powers Tony Blair has, and if we pause for a second and take the Iraq blindfolds off, we can recall his political convictions and ambitions for change which inspired his party and country so. Yesterday he reminded us.
In case you missed it, and if so, where have you BEEN, here’s my take on the speech.
“THANK YOU”
He started by thanking his party for giving him the “extraordinary privilege” of leading them these past twelve years. Then he thanked his Deputy, his family and his agent. Above all else, he said, he thanked the British people. He even thanked the NHS staff, teachers and the city of Manchester. It might seem like a surfeit of gratefulness. But I tell you something - it worked!
Then there was a reminder of the state of the country in 1994 when he became party leader and 1997 when he became Prime Minister. The country has changed since then, he said, but it hasn’t changed by accident.
BACK TO REAL VALUES
“We defied conventional political wisdom and so changed it. Around that we built a new political coalition”, he said. New Labour had also freed Britain from “the reactionary choice between individual prosperity and a caring society.” They had moved away from the traditional base of the party to become inclusive, said the PM, “Our core vote is the country”.
He compared the beliefs and policies of 1906 with those of 2006; the beliefs of a century ago should be recognizable today, the policies shouldn’t.
POLITICS IS ABOUT THE NEXT CHALLENGE
And he was obviously facing his own personal challenge as he admitted in a slightly wavering voice, “it’s hard to let go”. But he said he would take through the changes he has been working on, work to heal the party and towards “the only legacy that has ever mattered” to him - a fourth general election victory.
“A REMARKABLE MAN”
Then the PM praised the Chancellor fulsomely as joint-architect of New Labour, without whom their three election victories would not have been possible.
CHANGING CHANGES
He said that today’s challenges are essentially global and not domestic. Insecurity from terrorism, energy concerns, environmental issues, immigration, emerging markets in China and India. British people are “reluctant global citizens”, he nudged gently to our island race. Pointing out that 2007’s challenges are different from those of 1997, Mr Blair showed a clear understanding that priorities change as do the policies needed to reflect those changing priorities.
Global forces such as the internet alter people’s expectations and demands. Parents and patients must come first, he said.
SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION
Recognizing that the present system for immigration control and security are no longer suitable for our time, he reminded conference of his government’s case for ID cards, and said it was a balance between security and liberty which he thought had to be secured.
TERRORISM
Defending his policy against terrorism Mr Blair said that some were falling for the propaganda of the enemy. The propaganda that said we were the ones responsible for terrorism. “We are not responsible for terrorism”, he stated. If we retreat from Iraq and Afghanistan “it would be a craven act of surrender”.
He promised to work for peace between Israel and Palestine, as he had in Northern Ireland, in his remaining time in office.
He referred to the troubles in Sudan, the difficulties in being America’s strongest ally, and the British being semi-detached Europeans .
COURAGE NOT CAUTION
Telling the party that retreating to the sidelines is not an option, he said that the British people won’t forgive indecision.
NO RULES IN POLITICS
He urged the party to “get after” the Tories, saying there is no rule that the Tories have got to come back. There are no rules in politics; “you make your own luck.”
Interesting thought.
“I LOVE THIS PARTY”
“… and its traditions”, he said. There’s only one tradition he hated - losing.
TAKE OR LEAVE MY ADVICE
He wound up with a pithy few words, his voice breaking - “Wherever I am, whatever I do, I’m with you.”
Or should that have been - “I will be right there waiting for you” as in the song? Tonight the song lyrics and their promise of possible return are sinking into the subconscious of the confused delegates, who thought they knew where they were going until Mr Blair spoke today. He left them with this thought - “You’re the future now, so make the most of it.”
John 
Reid, the Home Secretary’s expression and raised eyebrows said it all. Tony had made a BIG mistake in announcing he would be leaving before the next general election.
Being forced out by his own party and not the Conservatives must be a bitter pill to swallow, but Mr Blair dealt with his recalcitrant party in an exemplary fashion. Talk about going out on a high! Though strangely, some of them don’t seem quite so sure now if his going is the right choice.
Click here to see part of Tony Blair’s speech. (3 mins 40 secs)
October 20, 2006 at 12:07 pm
Go and see the film “The Queen”, then come back here and tell us if you still think Tony Blair is fantastic. I used to be full-on Conservative until I read Jon Sopel’s biography of Blair and “the scales fell from my eyes…” Then I remember being really impressed by his speech the day after Princess Diana was killed. So, imagine my shock, when I found out that Alastair Cambell wrote it all, including all those little touches to make it seemed ad lib-ed. Tony is no more of a gifter orator than Russell Crowe…. Mmmm, maybe that is what Tony is going to do next!
October 20, 2006 at 1:02 pm
“The Queen”, eh? I think I know the difference between fact and fiction. On the other hand, I agree, he’d make a great actor, as that’s exactly what presentation is all about. And if a leader can’t present they can’t inspire or lead - witness the last two, or is it three Conservative leaders. All this stuff about “all spin and no substance” is just a pretty phrase which those of us with minimal wordsmith talents latch on to, because it makes us sound clever and well-informed. In the all-pervasive media world, the FIRST requirement of a political leader (yes, that’s what I said) is to be a good communicator, not necessarily a good writer! You can pay someone else to do that! I’m sure if Alastair Campbell gave you, me and Tony Blair the same speech, only one of us could deliver it properly. By the way, how many political leaders always write their own speeches? I understand, by the way, that Mr Blair’s conference speech was his own. It mattered this time, more than ever.
October 23, 2006 at 5:11 pm
No. It’s as genuine as all you good people on “Comment Is Free”. I’ll probably remove your posting soon, sorry, as I don’t like some of the language you use. I know - I’m being particular. But if you had read my message on CIF I said I was deleting nasties and antis. You can post your antis on the Guardian all day every day, with your friends.
October 24, 2006 at 6:31 pm
If you are not a Labour Party member why are you such a supporter of Mr Blair’s? I am afraid that that says a lot about Mr Blair, you, and the reasons for his lack of general support. If the PM really did announce that he was going to stay on, the world would crash down on his head. After all, the Labour Party only scraped back into power at the last election because he had pre-announced he was not going to serve a full term. The fact is that between the Tories, the anti-war groups, and the cabinet themselves, the number of people who would like him to remain as PM is negligible. Sorry, but you have picked a loser.
October 26, 2006 at 9:20 pm
That’s a good question, and I’m not sure any answer I could give you would satisfy you. I suppose I have always supported him as a leader, since he proved himself in his first term, and abolished Clause 4. But I have normally voted for a different party and just continued to do so. Most of us are rather habitual like that, I think. You are probably right about what would happen if he changed his mind about staying, unfortunately, in my personal opinion. They’d have him for breakfast, no doubt. I don’t agree though that Labour only scraped back into power because the PM “had pre-announced he was not going to serve a full term”. Go here to see what he actually said according to The Guardian on October 1st 2004.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour2004/story/0,,1317374,00.html
This is the relevant paragraph:
“Tony Blair last night reshaped the landscape of British politics by announcing that he will fight the coming general election and, if re-elected, serve a full third term as prime minister, but stand down before the likely election of 2009.”
Well, if he’s NOW a loser, that’s no reason for me to pretend I don’t appreciate and admire his political ability and the changes he has made to his party and the country. Anyway, I am still disgusted at all the machinations against him within his party and I see it as profoundly undemocratic in practice, if permissible in theory.
November 6, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Tony Blair remains a giant amongst pygmies as was demonstrated once again at today’s press conference. Those trying to drag him down are simply revealing their own ignorance and lack of moral character.
Keep up the good work!
November 9, 2006 at 7:06 pm
Thanks for your post Stan. I agree absolutely and thought the same as you. There must be some psychological study somewhere on where our pre-conceived prejudices lead us or … something. Reading the usual stuff on the Tory or Cif pages (funny how they meld into one on the PM) I felt as though they had been watching a different press conference from me.
Yes, I wonder too why so many basic qualities of decency, like manners, empathy and humility are missing from the anti-Blairites. I didn’t like Thatcher but I would never have been that vitriolic!
November 17, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Good work. This is an excellent site. I wondered where all the Blair supporters are. I mean ’somebody’ must vote for him to win 3 elections.
I think Blair is the best PM we have ever had, pity he bottled electoral reform and the euro, but he is a master and a political genius. His speech at conference is the best speech I have ever seen. Even his biggest enemies have to grudgingly admit it was fantastic, and there is no bigger compliment than that. I recommend those who hate him take another look at that speech, it had everything. This country is a much better place than 1997. The sheer enormity of the improvement is witnessed by the Tories having to talk about ’social justice’. I had never even heard that phrase before 1997. I can never understand people who moan about public services and think that the Tories cutting £21 billion from them will help.
November 18, 2006 at 9:21 am
Thank you so much for your comment, Neil. Glad to see you here! I completely agree with everything you say, as you might imagine. THAT speech at conference defies superlatives. Those who think like us are dismissed out of hand by Mr Blair’s many detractors. It bothers me that the millions who voted for him (and I think for many it was “for him”, rather than for Labour) are so silenced right now. Have they lost the ability for independent thought? There’s no doubt that Iraq has not been good for the PM, so far, and we can only hope for everyone’s sake that he can pull something out of it all even at the last minute.
I’m just concerned that he might be forced or even tempted to stand down sooner than the summer. The other ongoing inquiry, which I can hardly believe is fair, must cause him sleepless nights.
I’m full of admiration for how he bounces back from the daily onslaught against his judgement. Don’t know if I’d be up to that, and I’m pretty resilient. Just shows what he’s made of.
If you know of any others who empathise in this way, please let them know of this site. And you’re welcome to come back and keep any chat stream open at any time. Perhaps responding to the nay-sayers on here.
Thanks again.
December 20, 2006 at 8:23 am
Hiya - I’ve been enticed over from NN so intrigued am I by your concept
Yes, it would be interesting to have a referendum on whether the UK public think Blair is a statesman or no - compulsory vote obviously :)-
In the last election it was felt necessary to bring in GB with an icecream and even then only 20% of the population voted labour.
I have worked with people like Tony and I would classify him as a civil psychopath - statesmen should deal in reality, not in the construction of it.
GB is the greatest statesmen we never had because we have lost the greatest British trait - the ability to separate intellect from illusion.