Blair backs Britain’s euro future
Tony Blair declared on Tuesday that it would be ‘madness’ to give up on the UK’s option of joining the euro.
Speaking at the Labour Party annual conference in Bournemouth he also launched a strong defence of plans to reform public services.
The Prime Minister insisted that the Government could be proud of its economic record and was right to keep the option of joining the euro open.
He hailed the improvements in Britain’s schools and defended plans to modernise the health service.
Many party members have so far been opposed to plans such as foundation hospitals and tuition fees and the Prime Minister used his keynote speech to persuade delegates that the Government was still socialist.
Mr Blair claimed that his vision for the country was, ‘Fairness remade. A Britain without poverty. First-class public services, community renewed.’
However, he also refused to back down on the Government’s controversial policies and praised former Labour leader, Neil Kinnock, for his speech attacking Militants at the 1985 conference in the same hall.
‘Get rid of the false choice – principals or no principals,’ he said. ‘Replace it with the true choice – forward or back.
‘I can only go one way. I’ve not got a reverse gear.’
Union leaders described the speech as a missed opportunity to address issues affecting workers.
Kevin Curran, general secretary of the GMB, said there was nothing new in the speech.
‘Simply warning of the threat of the right wing Tories is not enough. We are not looking for any comfort zone, we are looking for the best way to move this country forward with radical policies,’ he said.
Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, called on the Government to ‘reconnect’ with voters.
He said: ‘Unions represent seven million working people and it’s about time this government starting reconnecting with their supporters. The Prime Minister should be listening to the people who deliver leaflets for the Labour Party at elections.’
Meanwhile, bookmaker William Hill has cut the odds on Mr Blair leading the Labour Party into the next General Election from 4/7 to 4/11 following the lengthy standing ovation in response to his speech.
