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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 PM | 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 PM |
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. |
"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. | |
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. | |
I am saying to everybody, all my colleagues, let's concentrate on the challenges that are out there Hazel Blears, Labour Party chair | I am saying to everybody, all my colleagues, let's concentrate on the challenges that are out there Hazel Blears, Labour Party chair |
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 is totally, totally uncollegiate", he told the Daily Telegraph. | |
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 | |
"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." |
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 in May and denied he was "working in league with Tony Blair or Downing Street". | |
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. |