Blair commits to his interpretation of Warwick
Tony Blair has promised a return to the domestic agenda to the TUC this afternoon, declaring, “Even if I’ve never been away, it’s time to show I’m back.”
The Prime Minister also stressed his commitment to the Warwick agenda – the 56-point deal agreed at the National Policy Forum over the summer. Nevertheless, Mr Blair argued that for the Government, Warwick is a matter of making social partnership work.
It was not a commitment to a return to an “Old Labour” agenda, he insisted. Nonetheless, “Warwick should be seen not as diluting these changes, but conditioning them with one very important set of basic principles: good jobs don’t come with bad work practices; successful employees don’t succeed by abusing their employees”, Mr Blair insisted.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that it has seemed in recent years that he has been excessively concerned by the international agenda. While this is partly a reflection of the changed world since 9-11, Mr Blair insisted that it is also partly a media construct.
“Even at the height of the crises of the last three years, since I stood actually in this hall on September 11 2001.we have never stopped working on that domestic bread-and-butter real life agenda. But I acknowledge, it hasn’t seemed like that”, he argued.
Mr Blair outlined many of the Government’s achievements, to the delight of delegates, but acknowledged, “You don’t continue to govern on the basis of record, but on the basis of your vision of the future.”
Amongst the specific pledges Mr Blair made were a commitment to legislation on excluding bank holidays from the statutory 20 days annual leave, new laws to protect staff at laboratories engaged in animal research, and a commitment to consider extending financial support for 19 to 30 year olds pursuing Level 3 qualifications.
