Mr Tony Blair yesterday vowed his would be "one of the great, radical, reforming governments" of British history. Carried on a sea of acclamation as he became the first Labour Prime Minister to address conference in 19 years, Mr Blair thrilled delegates with a speech long on aspirations, conspicuously restrained by the warning that his compassionate Britain would have "a hard edge".
Declaring his unashamed purpose to win an unprecedented second successive term, Mr Blair enraptured conference with the promise of a new Giving Age; an era of enlightened patriotism, with Britain leading in Europe and providing a burning beacon around the world; beckoning Britain to join him in a 21st "century of the radicals".
Labour's election victory had returned confidence to the British people, compassion to the British soul, unity to the British nation. All three would give them newfound strength to cast off the shackles of mediocrity, leaving them "free to excel once more. . . free to build that model 21st-century nation, to become that beacon to the world".
Declaring his goal to make Britain simply "the best educated and skilled country in the world, a nation not of a few talents, but of all the talents" the Prime Minister knocked the British establishment's failure on racism, and pledged to restore and cherish the values of caring, justice, opportunity and compassion.
He told conference he wanted children to grow up feeling good about themselves and those around them, not "brought up in a society where the only way pensioners can get long-term care is by selling their home, where people who fought to keep that country free now faced every winter with the struggle for survival, skimping and saving, cold and alone, waiting for death to take them".
And he declared: "I will not rest until that country is gone and all our children live in a Britain where no child goes hungry, the young are employed, and the old are cherished and valued to the end of their days."
That said, Mr Blair warned that his compassion came "with a hard edge". The young criminal was warned that the Prime Minister supported "zero tolerance" of crime. Powers to tackle anti-social neighbours, and the overhaul of the youth justice system were, according to some, a threat to civil liberties. But Mr Blair charged: "I say the threat to civil liberties is of women afraid to go out and pensioners afraid to stay home, because of crime and the fear of crime."
The "new welfare state must encourage work not dependency". The strong society could not be built on "soft choices". Modern welfare meant a better balance between public and private money. Young people would be offered a way out of welfare into work, and would have to take one of the options. And Mr Blair said: "We want single mothers with schoolage children at least to visit a job centre, not just stay at home waiting for the benefit cheque every week until their children are 16"
PA adds:
Mr Michael Heseltine will not be at next week's Tory party conference, it was confirmed yesterday. Party members will be disappointed by the absence from Blackpool of the former deputy prime minister, the traditional "darling" of the conference.
Mr Heseltine was said yesterday to feel it was time to "let a new generation take over", and to have dismissed reports that his decision was a "snub" to the new Tory leader, Mr William Hague.