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Blair calls for halt to sniping Blair calls for halt to sniping
(10 minutes later)
Labour must focus on policy and not infighting over its leadership to win the next election, Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned.Labour must focus on policy and not infighting over its leadership to win the next election, Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned.
In his first public speech since saying he would step down within the year, he said Labour was "ideologically united" despite the "spasm" of the last week.In his first public speech since saying he would step down within the year, he said Labour was "ideologically united" despite the "spasm" of the last week.
The comments come as former home secretary Charles Clarke criticised the PM's likely successor Gordon Brown.The comments come as former home secretary Charles Clarke criticised the PM's likely successor Gordon Brown.
Mr Blair said attacks within the party "turns the public off".Mr Blair said attacks within the party "turns the public off".
He was making the keynote speech at the 10th anniversary conference of the Progress Organisation, in central London.He was making the keynote speech at the 10th anniversary conference of the Progress Organisation, in central London.
He said: "We're three years away from an election and we can remake ourselves."He said: "We're three years away from an election and we can remake ourselves."
We go out, face out to the people, we succeed... We face inward - we lose Tony Blair Relaxed Blair 'on form' Hain backs Brown for PMWe go out, face out to the people, we succeed... We face inward - we lose Tony Blair Relaxed Blair 'on form' Hain backs Brown for PM
But Mr Blair said this can only be achieved "by behaving like we did when we were hungry for power before 1997". But Mr Blair said this could only be achieved "by behaving like we did when we were hungry for power before 1997".
He said the party then understood the country and not itself mattered.He said the party then understood the country and not itself mattered.
Mr Blair added: "We can either - after the kind of spasm of last week retreat into personal attacks... or we can say we are going in a mature, intelligent, and capable way to describe to the country what we've done." "We can either - after the kind of spasm of last week retreat into personal attacks... or we can say we are going in a mature, intelligent, and capable way to describe to the country what we've done," he said.
He said the government needed to address "difficult issues" such as the welfare state, global warming, security and migration. Mr Blair said the government needed to address "difficult issues" such as the welfare state, global warming, security and migration.
"What the people out there want to know are the answers to their difficult questions and the challenges of their lives," he said."What the people out there want to know are the answers to their difficult questions and the challenges of their lives," he said.
"What they don't want is to see a whole lot of politicians talking to themselves. So we go out, face out to the people, we succeed. We face inward - we lose.""What they don't want is to see a whole lot of politicians talking to themselves. So we go out, face out to the people, we succeed. We face inward - we lose."
One party activist, who heard Mr Blair's speech, called on the party to stop the "squabbling".One party activist, who heard Mr Blair's speech, called on the party to stop the "squabbling".
Diana Stromberg, from the Bedfordshire constituency party, said: "This has got to stop.Diana Stromberg, from the Bedfordshire constituency party, said: "This has got to stop.
"If I was a mother with a son coming back from Afghanistan in a body-bag (and this is happening weekly if not daily), it is an insult to have a government carrying on like this.""If I was a mother with a son coming back from Afghanistan in a body-bag (and this is happening weekly if not daily), it is an insult to have a government carrying on like this."
A handful of protesters were involved in scuffles with police when Mr Blair arrived for the speech as they tried to get past barriers.A handful of protesters were involved in scuffles with police when Mr Blair arrived for the speech as they tried to get past barriers.
Three men were arrested for violent disorder and are being held at a north London station, said Scotland Yard.Three men were arrested for violent disorder and are being held at a north London station, said Scotland Yard.
'Control freak''Control freak'
The attempt to heal wounds within the party comes as Mr Clarke spoke out amid mounting speculation about the end of Mr Blair's tenure as prime minister and the choice of a new leader. The attempt to heal wounds within the party comes as Mr Clarke spoke out amid mounting speculation about the end of Mr Blair's tenure as prime minister.
Mr Clarke had already branded the chancellor - who is widely expected to succeed Mr Blair - as "absolutely stupid".
I am saying to everybody, all my colleagues, let's concentrate on the challenges that are out there Hazel Blears, Labour Party chairI am saying to everybody, all my colleagues, let's concentrate on the challenges that are out there Hazel Blears, Labour Party chair
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, he accused Mr Brown of being a "control freak." Mr Clarke launched another attack on Mr Brown on Saturday accusing him of being a "control freak" and lacking the courage to take tough decisions.
He said the chancellor was unable to work with other people and lacked the courage to take tough decisions . "He is totally, totally uncollegiate", he told the Daily Telegraph.
"He is totally, totally uncollegiate. From my own experience of dealing with student finance and ID cards, it was very, very difficult to work with him - very difficult indeed," he said. He said he had found it difficult to work with Mr Brown on issues such as student finance and ID cards. The speech comes as Mr Brown was criticised by a former minister
The speech comes as Mr Brown was criticised by a former minister
"It was the control freak thing. His massive weakness is that he can't work with people.""It was the control freak thing. His massive weakness is that he can't work with people."
The former home secretary also said the chancellor was labouring under the "delusion" he could have beaten Blair for the Labour leadership if he had stood in 1994, when he would have been "humiliated". Mr Clarke also said the chancellor was labouring under the "delusion" he could have beaten Mr Blair for the Labour leadership if he had stood in 1994".
Mr Clarke had previously been seen as a close ally of Mr Blair, but said he was "furious" to have been sacked by the prime minister in May and denied he was "working in league with Tony Blair or Downing Street". Mr Clarke had previously been seen as a close ally of Mr Blair, but said he was "furious" to have been sacked in May and denied he was "working in league with Tony Blair or Downing Street".
Labour Party chair Hazel Blears said she did not recognise Mr Clarke's description of the chancellor and such views were not widely shared across the government. His comments came after his interview with the Evening Standard in which he accused Mr Brown of "absolutely stupid" behaviour during the furore over the leadership.
Labour Party chair Hazel Blears said she did not recognise Mr Clarke's description of the chancellor.
"I am saying to everybody, all my colleagues, let's concentrate on the challenges that are out there," she told the BBC."I am saying to everybody, all my colleagues, let's concentrate on the challenges that are out there," she told the BBC.