Long Live the Blair Revolution!

Comrades!

I greet you in the name of the Glorious Leader Tony Blair, and in the name of the Party of the Glorious Blair Revolution. Today we stand at the threshold of the door of History - we both celebrate Year Ten of our Revolution and look forward to another ten years of revolution - striving towards Year Twenty of the People's Revolution. It is therefore time for us to reflect on what our Revolution has achieved so far in transforming Britain, but also what challenges still lie ahead of us.

The Blair Revolution
Before we came to power, in 1996, two Old Blairist thinkers in our Party - Peter Mandleson and Roger Liddle - produced a short book, The Blair Revolution: Can New Labour Deliver? In it they set out the manifesto for what they called 'New Labour's concept of One Nation socialism', the philosophy which has been our guiding ideology over the last decade. As they put it:

'New Labour is fundamentally different from old Labour in its economic, social and political approach. It goes well beyond the battles of the past between public and private, and about the role of the unions and the relevance of public expenditure, to the achievement of a more equal society.'

Comrades, as we mark Year Ten of the Blair Revolution, can anyone truthfully say that we have not already achieved that more equal society?

When we put forward our Party's vision of 'One Nation socialism' ten years ago - or what from now on will be known simply as 'National Socialism' - some were cynical. It is hard to imagine anyone being cynical today about the successes of the Blair Revolution! But at the time there were those who were sceptical. In 1996, Mandleson and Liddle carefully explained to such people why they were wrong:

'Opponents claim that the Blair revolution is "dumping socialism" or "leaving the old members behind" or just "fishing for votes". The truth is that the New Labour agenda stands in a long line of socialist thinking...the less dogmatic ethical school in which it is a body of core values that matter...the ethical approach has unsurprisingly stood the test of time. This is a socialism based on a set of beliefs and values, and is similar to the social democracy found in other European countries. It is founded on the simple notion that human beings are socially interdependent and cannot be divorced from the society they live in.

In the past politics of the old left, socialism was a slogan that was often shouted from the rooftops and through the street megaphones by those with least in common with the values of socialism as New Labour interprets them. Yet the general public is not at all interested in the bandying around of labels. If it is socialist to be committed to community and a strong society, to justice and fairness, to maximising the life chances of all our people and preventing the exclusion from society of any, then New Labour is socialist...We stand for a strong society and an efficient economy because we need both, and each needs the other. That is the essence of our belief in One Nation policies.'

Today our National Socialism has triumphed in Britain! Of course we still have those few 'socialists' who stand around shouting slogans through megaphones - but we are already planning how these people - who are so out of tune with the interests of the general public - might be 're-educated' in the 'ethical approach'. And for those of them who refuse to be 're-educated', we we are working on ways so that such people might be taken out of society and be put to work usefully in the construction of an 'efficient economy'.

Permanent Revolution
Yet while absolutely right about how National Socialism might transform British society, Mandleson and Liddle in 1996 did not examine how the Blair Revolution might spread internationally in detail. All they said was the following:

'Blair is very interested in foreign affairs, but he will not want these to crowd out his domestic agenda - especially when, in Robin Cook, he has a prospective foreign secretary in whom he has complete confidence.'

We now know that it was very fortunate indeed that Blair was 'very interested in foreign affairs' - as his confidence in Robin Cook was of course very much misplaced. While embracing the philosophy of 'ethical socialism', Cook failed to see how this might be brought to the people of Iraq though armed force if necessary - fortunately the Great Leader understood this and saw further than many other Party members. Blair understood that 'Socialism in One Country' was not an option! To their credit, Mandleson and Liddle did recognise this strand of Our Dear Leader's thinking back in 1996:

'Some have complained of feeling that the party is engaged in a "permanent revolution". But what is wrong with that?...The leadership's view is clear. Tony Blair told the GMB trade-union conference last year, "People ask me when I will draw the line under reform. When can we say it is done with? The answer is never."'

The Blair Revolution must be spread internationally! Internationalism is the task for the Blair Revolution over the next ten years!

But for all that, we should not forget again the historic achievements of the Blair Revolution at home. In 1996, Liddle and Mandleson described what life was like under the hated Tory Capitalist Government:

'Given the recent shabby record of the Conservatives...it is not surprising that people have lingering doubts and uncertainties...they are cynical about politics and politicians, and sceptical as to whether a new government would make much difference to them...throughout society there is a feeling that Britain is in moral, social and economic decline. In previous generations parents felt certain that their children would go on to do better than them. Many of today's parents worry about whether their newly graduated son or daughter will even get a job. Middle Britain has never felt so insecure, as new ways of working take hold in the labour market and faith in the public services that families rely on is eroded. Millions less fortunate seem condemned to unemployment and poverty...'

Who could possibly recognise such a picture as still true today, after ten years of Blairism? No wonder in local elections due to take place next week up and down the country, millions cannot wait to get down to the polling booths to cast their verdict on the People's Party, the Party of the Blair Revolution!

Enemies of the Party in our midst
Yet, some of our younger Party members are hesitant - they report some hostility on the doorsteps when canvassing. It is true there are still enemies of the Party active, skulking around. 'With a broken prime minister, a defence secretary on the edge of resignation and its much vaunted spin-machine in chaos, New Labour is facing annihilation in the local, Welsh and Scottish elections', some enemies of the Party scoff in their lying counter-revolutionary propaganda. I mean! Who could seriously believe such nonsense?

We should not be alarmed at the tricks and lies of our enemies. Every Glorious Revolutionary Party in History has had to face far worse! As Comrade Jack Straw said recently, New Labour’s campaign was going 'OK under the current circumstances' after canvassing in his Blackburn constituency. Too true Comrade Straw! That is the spirit! Comrade Straw remembers the long hard struggle to get into power - and no ruling class ever hands over power without a fight! And our Revolution is not going to be destroyed without a fight!

The final message to Party members is therefore this: Remember under whose banner we are fighting! The banner of the People! And remember who is the leader who first raised this banner: Our Dear Leader Comrade Blair! If out canvassing opinion for The Party and you run into those who are in any way sceptical about the direction of the Revolution, or about the Party, simply remind people of Our Dear Leader and his heroic and tireless efforts on behalf of them over the past decade.

In the name of the People,
In the name of the Party,
In the name of the Revolution,
In the name of Our Dear Comrade Blair,
Go Forward to Victory!