At last, Blair is free to 'do God' – and America loves it

Tony Blair gave an extraordinary speech about the global importance of religion yesterday, telling an audience which included the newly-inaugurated President, Barack Obama, that faith should be restored "to its rightful place, as the guide to our world and its future."

The former prime minister also said he believed the 21st century would be "poorer in spirit" and "meaner in ambition" if it was not "under the guardianship of faith in God." He had been invited by President Obama to lead the prestigious US National Prayer Breakfast, a spectacular event in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Mr Blair also managed to rain on Gordon Brown's parade, meeting the President before any European leader. He dashed ahead of the Prime Minister and other political heavyweights, including Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy and Vladimir Putin, to lay on the hands and tell the President: "It is fitting at this extraordinary moment in your country's history that we hear that call to action; and we pray that in acting we do God's work and follow God's will."

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During Mr Blair's 10 years as prime minister, his chief spin doctor Alastair Campbell famously answered any religious questions from journalists with the retort: "We don't do God." But free from the shackles of leadership, Mr Blair embraced his faith and even ended his speech with "God bless you all."

He didn't just get the bragging rights of being first in line – Mr Brown will only meet the President when he travels to London in early April – he got an opportunity to lobby for his own role in a big US push for Middle East peace.

Mr Blair also delivered a homily about faith and religion, even telling the assembled political leaders of his first spiritual awakening, when he was 10 years old. "That day, my father – at the young age of 40 – had suffered a serious stroke," he told the audience. "His life hung in the balance." He described being sent to school where his teacher knelt and prayed with him.

"Now my father was a militant atheist," Mr Blair said. "Before we prayed, I thought I should confess this. 'I'm afraid my father doesn't believe in God,' I said. 'That doesn't matter,' my teacher replied. 'God believes in him. He loves him without demanding or needing love in return.'"

Mr Blair's homily went down like milk and honey. Americans proudly wear their faith on their sleeves and Washington is a city where politicians and policy-makers are often found at early morning prayer meetings. And Mr Blair may be on to a good thing with Mr Obama, who has embraced the religious community more than any recent Democratic leader. The one Bush programme he is holding on to is his "faith-based" initiative now renamed as "faith and neighborhood partnerships.'

At yesterday's breakfast, the former prime minister, who championed a war in Iraq that many religious leaders condemned as immoral, proclaimed himself a supporter of Mr Obama. "It is an honour to be here, a particular honour to be with you Mr President." Mr Blair said. "The world participated in the celebration of your election. Now the hard work begins. And now, also we should be as steadfast for you in the hard work as in the celebration."

While Mr Blair was plotting strategy for invading Iraq, Mr Obama, then a political unknown, went out on a limb to condemn plans for the war. He famously declared that he was not opposed to war but opposed to "dumb wars" and won the election largely on a promise of bringing the troops home from Iraq.

In his first few days as President, he banned torture and ordered the closure of Guantanamo within a year.

Yesterday Mr Obama listened politely while one of the biggest supporters of the war declared: "You don't need cheerleaders but partners; not spectators but supporters. The truest friends are those still around when the going is toughest. We offer you our friendship today. We will work with you to make your presidency one that shapes our destiny to the credit of America and of the world. Mr President, we salute you and wish you well.'

Mr Blair who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Mr Bush just before he left office, did not get an opportunity for a private chat with President Obama yesterday.