Marking 10 years of New Labour in power, Blair stakes his claim for lasting legacy

In an attempt to shape his legacy before he stands down, Tony Blair has claimed that his 10 years in power have transformed the British political landscape, drawing other parties on to Labour's ground.

Writing to all Labour MPs, the Prime Minister admitted he would leave office this summer without completing unfinished business on climate change, pensions and skills and conceded that public opposition to the Iraq war had not cooled four years after the invasion.

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Yesterday, he sent his MPs a 22-page dossier about his record, to mark the 10th anniversary next Tuesday of the victory that brought Labour to power. In his covering letter, he argued that New Labour's central theme - offering both economic prosperity and social justice - had "stood the test of time". It was now "the governing idea of British politics" and every contender for power had to "profess to believe in it."

Mr Blair went on: "This is why the achievements we have to our credit are durable - because the ground of politics has shifted. We have dealt, once and for all, with the suspicion that Labour is not the party of aspiration. And we have forced a serious identity crisis, by no means resolved, on our opponents."

With Labour facing a drubbing at next week's elections to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh assembly and English councils, he admitted that there were "difficulties and troubles" at this stage of the political cycle. He also acknowledged that Labour's critics would try to argue that "nothing much has changed" in the past decade. "Politics is never complete," he told the MPs. "As one issue is dealt with another emerges. Today, we still have work to do - on climate change, pensions, skills, to name but three. But we should still be confident that we remain the only political party with serious answers to these questions."

On Iraq, Mr Blair said that "history will make its own judgement on our policy" - a recognition that he will leave office around the end of June without winning over critics of the decision which many people will regard as his legacy. "The strong views which the war in Iraq generated are still felt today," he admitted.

In a controversial move, he linked the decision to topple Saddam Hussein with the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States - even though there was no proven link between Saddam and al-Qa'ida and critics say terrorists only moved into Iraq after the war. "9/11 fundamentally changed the world," he said. "We are still dealing with its impact, most obviously, in both Afghanistan and Iraq." The Blair dossier listed one of the "key moments" in foreign affairs as having "removed brutal regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq" even though regime change in Iraq was not official policy because it would have flouted international law.

According to the report, in 1997, Britain had not found a role, and was in the periphery of the world stage but was now punching above its weight. "Our influence and access across the globe has increased with Britain helping to set the agenda rather than follow it," it said. That claim will be contested by critics who believe Britain has lost influence because of Mr Blair's "shoulder to shoulder" support for George Bush.

The dossier highlighted Labour's record three successive election victories - which many Labour MPs will regard as Mr Blair's domestic legacy even if there are different views about how much he achieved after winning them. "In 1992, serious commentators suggested that Labour could never win another general election," it said. "Fifteen years on, the party has won three in a row - and will continue in power if it sticks to its principles."

It concluded: "Labour in office has combined objectives which had once been considered competing opposites: a strong economy and investment in services; being tough on criminals while helping offenders turn their back on crime; improving public services and supporting the workforce. In doing so, the essence of Third Way politics is now the guiding principle for all mainstream British political parties."

Successes and failures of the Blair years

* ECONOMY

BLAIR CLAIMS: 'We have created an economy better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of globalisation than any in the western world.'

IS HE RIGHT? A success story, but clouds on the horizon - on borrowing, inflation and a looming squeeze on public spending.

* IRAQ

BLAIR CLAIMS: 'Removed brutal regime' in Iraq as part of 'values-based' approach to foreign policy using 'hard' power 'military action to remove dictators, peacekeeping' and 'soft' power such as supporting Africa.

IS HE RIGHT? An attempt to rewrite history. No mention in Blair dossier of Iraq's non-existent weapons of mass destruction on which the case for war was based.

* CLIMATE CHANGE

BLAIR CLAIMS: 'We have given the lead at home and internationally on tackling this threat. The debate has moved on from questioning the science to agreeing how we react.'

IS HE RIGHT? Blair deserves credit for bringing sceptical nations to the negotiating table. His record at home is less good, since carbon dioxide emissions have risen since 1997.

* HEALTH

BLAIR CLAIMS: 'We have improved care across the board by ending the era of uniform, monolithic provision in the NHS, putting patients and their needs in the driving seat. High-quality care on the NHS is no longer the preserve of the lucky or the well-connected but genuinely universal.'

IS HE RIGHT? Shorter waiting times an achievement. But Blair will leave office amid a sense that the extra billions have failed to transform the NHS.

* EDUCATION

BLAIR CLAIMS: 'We are establishing a genuinely post-comprehensive schools system which has ended the historic trade-off between equity and excellence.'

IS HE RIGHT? Good progress in primary schools but has not yet brought all schools up to the standards of the best.

* LAW AND ORDER

BLAIR CLAIMS: 'Through investment in law enforcement ... a new suite of powers and targeting the offender not the offence, crime has fallen.'

IS HE RIGHT? Success in cutting overall crime qualified by rise in violent offences. Too many 'eye-catching initiatives' and too much legislation.

* POVERTY

BLAIR CLAIMS: 'We have tackled child and pensioner poverty, raised living standards and reduced inequality.'

IS HE RIGHT? Minimum wage and greater work incentives have helped. But crucial target of halving child poverty by 2010 may be missed.

* NORTHERN IRELAND

BLAIR CLAIMS: 'We have helped bring the troubles which have disfigured Northern Ireland for decades to an end.'

IS HE RIGHT? Blair deserves credit after devoting much energy and time to the issue. Restoration of self-government on 8 May will form important part of his legacy.