Labour Conference: Party Division - Carping will let in Tories, says Blair

TONY BLAIR delivered a tough warning to his party yesterday when he urged party members not return to the party divisions of the past.

The Prime Minister warned delegates during a question-and-answer session at the party's conference in Blackpool of a myth within the Labour movement that by spreading misgivings about a Labour government, more left-wing policies would be achieved.

"But that is not right. What you achieve is a right-wing Tory Government. We have been there, got the T-shirt and we are not going back again," he said.

Mr Blair also rebuffed criticism from delegates about his plans to cut income taxes as revealed in an interview with The Independent last week.

He said he was proud that Labour was no longer regarded as an "instinctive tax and spend party" which just "threw money" at the problem as it did during the 1960s and 1970s.

"Ministers used to get a round of applause by saying we need to spend more money ... but what we are now trying to do is to make the tax system fairer and achieve visible, lasting and tangible change."

The one-hour question-and-answer session, chaired by Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam, was the first of its kind at a Labour conference. It was part of the pledge to build a "Partnership in Power" with an "unbroken line of accountability" between the Government, the parliamentary party, the party in the country and the country as a whole.

"The problem was that we used to have tension between the party in power and the party in the country ... We want to build trust and if you, as members, disagree you will at least understand why we are doing what we are."

The "real comradeship" was about trust, the Prime Minister said. "Solidarity is what will see us through. Have our disagreements, but recognise we want the same things for our country."

Pressed on the election of left-wing delegates to the NEC, Mr Blair made clear that "outright opposition instead of critical support" could cost the Government the next general election. He said: "We have come a very long way as a political party. We have come a long way because we were prepared to make changes that made us more relevant and that connected us with the people.

"The choice you've got is not between the Labour Government of your dreams and the Labour Government you've got. The choice is between the Labour Government you've got and a Tory government."

Taking questions from the conference floor, Mr Blair denied that policy- making in the party was now "meaningless", insisting that through the system of policy forums more party members than ever before were being consulted now.

He said: "You are not the Government's audience - you are part of the show. This is your Government. I want you not merely saying, "Well, you've done this, you've done that and you've done the next thing, but hang on a minute, I've got in my back pocket another 10 demands and I'll have those".

"We're getting through these things but we need your help to get through them and we need your help in building support for the Government and for the party in the country too."