[B]MANCHESTER, England[/B] (AP) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks to his party Tuesday for the last time as its leader, offering a sweeping look at the Labour Party's achievements over the past decade and declaring it can win a fourth term of government.

Blair will use his speech to his party's conference to emphasize that the values which first carried Labour to victory in 1997 will be the cornerstone of the platform come the next British election -- widely expected in 2009.

"The scale of the challenges in 2007 dwarfs what we faced in 1997. They are different, deeper, and bigger," Blair will say, according to excerpts of his speech released in advance.

The party has suffered in the polls recently, with the electorate unhappy over issues such as the war in Iraq and recent scandals that have dogged Blair's government. Blair said last year that he would not run again; last month, he said he would be stepping down within the year.

Aides to the prime minister said Monday evening that Blair would not be naming the date he will leave office, and a Blair biographer said no one should expect him to anoint a successor.

[URL="http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/26/britain.labour.ap/index.html"]Full story[/URL]

Blair became leader of the British Labour Party in July 1994 following the sudden death of his predecessor, John Smith. Under Blair's leadership, the party won a landslide victory in the May 1997 general election, ending 18 years of government by the UK's centre-right Conservative Party. Blair is the Labour Party's longest-serving Prime Minister, the only person to have led the party to three consecutive general election victories and the only Labour prime minister to serve more than one full consecutive term. He was the youngest person to attain the office of Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812.

Hokey, Blair fucked it up big time by being Bush's pet, but nevertheless imo he's one of Britain's best statesmen of the past decades... Hope the next PM won't be a too big euro sceptic...

Re: Tata Tony

This notion that Blair is Bush's pet is bollocks.

Just think, for one moment, what Bush might have got upto post 9/11 had Blair NOT been there by his side?

Anyone who knows Tony realises that this is a politican of true conviction - no-one can force him to do anything unless he believes its the right thing to do.

So truely a great shame that he's leaving office; even greater shame that I couldnt make it over to the UK to take up my invitation to hear his final conference speech :(

Re: Tata Tony

^^^ if Blair had not been by Bush's side, there probably wouldn't have been an invasion in Iraq with all the nice consequences we're enjoying now (see [URL="http://www.mercuryserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32456"]here[/URL] for example). That was imo the blackest page of his three term run and made me lose a great deal of respect for the man. Even though he's a great politician, he lied to his nation and the world. Just like Bush did.

Re: Tata Tony

Look at it another way, if Blair had not supported the removal of Sadaam and worked for the liberation of Iraq from a maniacal madman, and Bush had gone it alone, which he would have, the situation would have been ten times worse than today.

The problems in Iraq today, as any 5 year old with one brain cell will tell you, is sectarian violence perpetrated by radical groups and neighbouring states who want to keep Iraq in the dark ages.

The fact that Blair recognises that Muslim extremism is the cancer of the 21st century must really piss off some people, especially those who are prepared to live in Dhimitude as opposed to fight for their rights to live as full and equal members of a society that recognises individual freedom and liberation above religious lunacy, hey Kinky!!!!!!

Re: Tata Tony

[quote=davetlv;380579]Look at it another way, if Blair had not supported the removal of Sadaam and worked for the liberation of Iraq from a maniacal madman, and Bush had gone it alone, which he would have, the situation would have been ten times worse than today.[/quote]myeah, Sadam in power was obviously worse than fundamentalist terrorists blowing up 30 to 40 people per day there :roll:

[quote]The fact that Blair recognises that Muslim extremism is the cancer of the 21st century must really piss off some people, especially those who are prepared to live in Dhimitude as opposed to fight for their rights to live as full and equal members of a society that recognises individual freedom and liberation above religious lunacy, hey Kinky!!!!!![/quote]I don't feel targetted by that remark at all, my friend. But still, keep holding a blind eye to the fact that the invasion of Iraq had no other result than the propagation of muslim extremism in the region and the world in general.