Blair pledges 'whatever necessary' to beat terror

British Prime Minister Tony Blair today pledged to do "whatever is necessary" to defend democracy and defeat terrorism.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair today pledged to do "whatever is necessary" to defend democracy and defeat terrorism.

He said today's generation faced "a war of a different nature from anything before".

And he told delegates to the Labour Party's spring conference in Manchester that the new terror could not be defeated "by hoping it will leave us alone or by hiding away".

Mr Blair is attempting to rehabilitate his public image and rally his party today at Labour's annual conference. Under pressure over the attack on Iraq and public service reforms he will begin his attempt to head off a resurgent Conservative Party at June elections for London mayor, the European parliament and local councils.

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Mr Blair is hoping to hold his increasingly fractious party together in what is being seen as a major test of his leadership ahead of a general election expected in 2005.

PA