Our deadliest political opponent leaves the stage

I've just listened to Tony Blair's speech and it was a great speech - perhaps his greatest conference speech.  He is the great performer.  The speech contained an attack on David Cameron that will resonate with many of the Tory leader's internal opponents, a compelling defence of his role in the post 9/11 war on terror and some very funny lines - he joked that he knew, at least, that his wife would never run off with the bloke next door.

The gap between Mr Blair's rhetoric and his record is, of course, so wide that few will believe much of what he said.  'Tony Blair 2006' is not the political sensation that was 'Tony Blair 1997'.  Nine years of spin and squander have eroded nearly all of the man's political potency.

But Tories should not be under any illusions as to the significance of what is happening.  The Blair era is coming to an end and with it we are seeing the end of our party's most formidable ever opponent.  For more than a decade he has confounded the Conservative Party at almost every turn.  He has led deep raids into our natural territory - geographically and ideologically.

The Blair years have been the years of greatest trial for the Conservative Party.  That is no coincidence.  Politics is going to be different in the Post-Blair era.  Our most deadly political opponent is about to leave the stage.  That can only be good news.

Comments

[James Maskell]

Damn it, missed the speech. Flipping World Chess Championship...

[michael]

That was a fantastic speech, its a shame he wasnt a conservative!

[Natural Tory]

Fairwell great leader. I think we will all miss you.

[Peter Coe]

And just compare that speech - I rarely...err, never agree with Roy Hattersley, but that was one of the greatest speeches in British politics ever - with the guff Gordon Brown spouted yesterday: the gulf in calibre between the two is just incredible - and good for the Conservatives.

Have to say, there's going to be a bit of a post conference bounce for Labour on the strength of that speech alone.

[imtorybutallcredittoblair]

Blair unfortunately has more talent and insight than the entire Shadow Cabinet put together.

Fortunately, Labour are so stupid they've forced him out - or he'd have ripped Cameron apart the way he did our others...

[Martyn]

Don't know whether you caught the BBC's Perception Panel on the speech. The biggest approval spike recorded by the politically mixed audience for the speech was when he ripped into the emptiness of Cameron.

Interesting, possibly quite important for the post-Blair landscape.

[anon]

I missed the speech but will catch the highlights and analysis this evening. What I would like to question is how people think Blairs departure will change the face of British politics. I am not interested in sparking a debate about who will replace Blair but more in whether people feel that Blairs going will result in a change in the style of politics (namely do people think that there will be a move away from spin) and if so how people think that we as a party could take advantage.

[malcolm]

Haven't heard the speech but after a decade of lies and spin don't you think that the British people will see through this. For me Blair will be remembered as a charismatic but deeply dishonest man who was probably the most personally corrupt PM of the modern era. I hope he will be prosecuted for selling peerages and that he will end his days a deeply dicredited man.

[Cllr Francis Lankester]

Sheer laziness by William Hague let Blair off the hook in the beginning. The inability of the national leadership to get up and fight has been depressing over many years. But then after the debacle of the Major years when every Tory value was destroyed, Blair was kicking at an open door. The sheer amount of time it has taken the party to get its act together (and we are not completely there yet)has been a disgrace. Local associations and council groups have kept us going. Cameron still hasn't said anything valuable about public services and is ducking immigration-incredeibly John Reid has made it a Labour issue.

As with thg Labour Party and Maggie, too many Tories have been obsessed with Blair to think clearly about Britain's problems and challenges. Blair has had an easy time against an incompetent and irresolute Tory parliamentary party.

[Paul Kennedy]

It was a great speech and just because our greatest opponent will be leaving the stage, we should not assunme that we will now have a clear run to the winning line. Labour are not a "busted flush" irrespective of who their new Leader might be, and they might still spring the odd surprise, like a snap election or a leader from out of the blue. Our leadership have a lot of work to do, I live in hope and expectation that they have the ability, determination and strength of character and purpose to do it.

[James Maskell]

Ferrets fighting in fringe meeting!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5379900.stm

[Editor]

I did say, Malcolm, that I don't think many people will believe him. The point of my post was a wider one. The great performer has done his worst and at times his worst was devastating for us Conservatives (and the country!). The post-Blair era is around the corner. I'm hopeful it will be better for us than the Blair era.

[Simon Mallett]

Blair may be leaving No 10 but he will not be entering political retirement. He will do all he can to secure a fourth term for Labour and does not have to be PM to attack Cameron. I suspect he will continue to use his political skills for years to come. Our greatest opponent will still be around and freed of the shackles of office will probably be as effective as ever.

[Matt]

Credit where it is due, Tony Blair is the best british PM since Major.

Now come on Dave, when asked for your response to TB's savaging you can only have one of two responses: "Bye bye, enjoy your retirement" or "He has the right to be silent".

[Editor]

Francis Maude's reaction: "“This was a consummate performance by a consummate actor. But Tony Blair’s theatrics can’t disguise the bitter divisions of this paralysed Government which is failing to give the British people the leadership they deserve. With the NHS in crisis and crime soaring, the British people won’t share Mr Blair’s misty-eyed nostalgia. The time has now come for him to accept the applause and leave the stage.”

[Andrew Young]

Leaves the stage???? Surely not?

He's got nine months left, and now that he's made this speech he can have his free run till the end of his premiership with criticism bouncing off him.

We shouldn't underestimate Blair. This speech was a dangerous and powerful electoral gambit. He will use it to maneouvre himself into position.

Can we finally master the counterattack by Labour?

[malcolm]

Tim,my comments were aimed at Peter Coe, and the others who posted above mine.I'll be interested to hear what the press make of this speech tomorrow.

[James Maskell]

Blair will almost certainly playing the post-PM Thatcher role.

[Andrew Woodman]

Seems a decent enough response from Maude. I watched his 94 performance again at lunchtime. He talked about socialism in them days. He's an actor, a fantastist. He gives a performance like this because he actually believes his rhetoric, bless him. It will be interesting to see how he reacts when he's thrown back into the real world.

[Antony Calvert]

Blair wants Labour to 'go after' DC and the Tories??

Bring it on

[comstock]

Just as a matter of interest, do people on here accept that, at least in some ways, Britian is a better place than in 97?

[Sean Fear]

Comstock, No.

[Andrew Woodman]

Depends how you mean Comstock. Britian may be better through having access to the internet, advanced technology ect, but with unsafe streets and the threat of terror ect, it's a bit of a toss up.

[malcolm]

Comstock,Can't really think of anything no.If I was a civil servant or a politician then I would probably be grateful for all the extra salary. If I worked at the Guardian I would be grateful for all the extra Ads. Sadly I'm not either and as a pensions trustee I have seen how the last nine years have wrecked the chances of a comfortable retirement for millions.

[Sean Fear]

Things like increased internet access have little to do with the Government though, Andrew.

[Andrew Woodman]

I know Sean. I should have made it clear that what has got worse in this country, are the things the Govt has some control over.

[James Maskell]

Blair got 7 minutes standing ovation. The thing being the Labour Party members are giving him that ovation for a range of reasons, some giving him an ovation because he's going rather than thanking him.

[comstock]

Minimum wage? Won't you at least accept you were wrong about that?

[christina speight]

Comstock - NO! In 1997 our economy was sound - it is now a mess. In 1997 we had more pension savings than the rest of Europe combined - it is now a mess. In 1997 we had adequate (just) defences - now a mess. In 1997 the civil service was independent - it is now politicised.

I didn't see the speech but why a man who has governed by lies and spin should be praised for more skillfull lying beats me! He took us to war on a lie; his actions led to the death of a civil servant - he's evil.

What Blair did do was smell the wind and saw the 60s baby-boomers coming with their narcissistic self-indulgence and pandered to them and bribed them with our money and effectively robbed us all by ruining the economy.

It worries me that so many on this blog admire this evil man. What does that say about them ?

[comstock]

In 1997 our economy was sound - it is now a mess

Ah come on! The last Tory government presided over the worst recession in living memory!

[malcolm]

Yes we were wrong about that Comstock.

[comstock]

I should have made it clear that what has got worse in this country, are the things the Govt has some control over

Come on Andrew. That isn't a sustatainable statement and deep down you know it.

Health care, worse than in 1997? Education?

[Derek Johnson]

Bring it on Tone!

What matters is how much money is actually in the United Kingdom cash register.

The fact is .......not much.

Massive personal indebtedness, NHS cutbacks, defence cuts, unmanageable pension commitments.

All this despite the collosal tax burden placed on the British People.

Cameron should relish it.

[James Maskell]

The only thing of any benefit to me is the NMW. Unfortunately the pay increase Im expecting next week I wont see, due to rising mortgages, which means my rent goes up next week. Changes with taxation means my disposable income actually falls...

So overall, no. I have nothing to thank Blair and Labour for.

[a-tracy]

Health care, worse than in 1997?

In many respects Comstock YES. No out of hours (08:30 to 17:30) local doctors appointments or visits we have to go to a clinic in A&E 13 miles away with no bus service, no weekend local emergency appointments, difficulty in making appointments, no NHS dentist.

[Andrew Woodman]

Comstock, considering the amounts that have been spent on health and Education, I don't think value for money has been achieved.

[The Blind Winger Jones]

So farewell Lionel ! Who would have thought that when you left a succesful charades based afternoon TV show for leadership of the Labour party you'd still be here 13 years later.

I have written an extensive report on the speech on my own political blog.

[Michael McGowan]

Comstock, you might remember that the last recession was a direct result of first shadowing the Mark and then entering the ERM. Labour backed that policy to the hilt, including at the 1992 Election. They then used the fallout as a stick with which to beat the Tories. It is a measure of the Tories' utter incompetence that in fifteen years, they have never pointed out Labour's complicity and opportunism (compare the way in which Labour's rapid rebuttal machine batted away Tory criticisms over Iraq on the basis that the Tories backed Blair). Or was Labour's position on the ERM never mentioned because Ken Clarke, Chris Patten, Geoffrey Howe and Michael Heseltine thought it was a wonderful idea too?