Thank you Tony

Without a shadow of a doubt, Tony Blair's speech to The Labour conference today, was one of the greatest speeches in political history. After a hellish summer for the party, including the recent attempted coup, you could virtually hear the collective sigh of relief as the great man said exactly what needed to be said, steering his party to the fight they should be fighting, The Tories and David Cameron. The Prime Minister did this, with such conviction, eloquence and style that the sheer of craziness of Blair going at anytime is plain to see.

However, due to the actions of a selfish minority within the party, the rabble who seized on Tony's one mistake of announcing he would not fight the next election, he is going. Labour will have a new leader in place before conference next year. One thing is clear today, this new leader will have no option other than to follow Tony's advice, and stick strictly to the New Labour path including Blair's courageous and morally right, war on terror. The new leader will also have to commit to the controversial reforms in health and education as well. To abandon this project now, would be to hand power to Cameron's Tories and this would be a disaster for our country. As Tony said today, Labour has to get after the Tories. Cameron is the enemy, a artful one at that, but a policy-lightweight. This hoodie hugging con-artist must be exposed, and exposed quickly as I have said before.

This whole period of political skullduggery and backstabbing must now be consigned to the past. The public must be allowed to see that the Government is now working again, and not looking inward, prepairing to self-destruct. Never again, must Labour allow such crazy paralysis, espaecially after such prolonged success politically, three election wins one after the other. Tony Blair must remain in power until May 2007, followed by a very brief leadership election. I despise the Tories with a passion, but their leadership conference should be the sensible model we try and copy.

If Gordon Brown and his supporters allow Tony Blair to finish his premiership in this way, and do not try another disgraceful coup, I could still conceivably vote for Brown as Labour leader. His speech yesterday showed that he has a formidable talent and the required energy to do the job. As I have mentioned before, up to the coup, I would have voted for him automatically out of loyalty and respect for his brilliant chancellorship over the last nine years. Sadly, I now have serious misgivings.

The picture of the smiling Chancellor during the recent crisis will be etched in many a supporter's mind for a long time. Brown has to re-earn our trust, his renewel along with our parties. People like me, proud to be Blairites, could back another candidate, the loyal excellent home secretary, John Reid is already looking like a strong and significant alternative. But who knows...

Whoever becomes Labour leader, will have a supremely tough act to follow. Tony Blair's speech today, outrageously risque Cherie joke included, showed what political intelligence Blair has. The moving end to his speech had me in tears, it has to be said.

Despite his rousing 7 and a half minute ovation, I still do not think Labour grasps what a truly decent man he is. Sadly, I think the party will, once he has gone from power and it is too late to beg him to stay on.

For me, and the masses who joined the Labour Party in the nineties, Tony Blair will simply be remembered as our greatest asset, the saviour of our country, and the defining political hero of the modern age.

Short Shrift

Whilst at university in the nineties, when John Major's Tories were in power, and I was Anglia Labour Students chairman, I had a lot of admiration for Clare Short. I always thought that Clare was a good fiery speaker and was passionate about her politics. An ideal opposition MP, able to say what she was against, without having to say what she would do in power. A rent-a-gob politician who came across well on television due to her enthuiasm.

My view of her was to drasticly change during Labour's time in government.

Tony Blair, once in power gave her the job of International Development Secretary for several reasons, collective responsibility would help her put a sock in it, and the left would see her appointment as a sweetener, one of their own at the cabinet table. My high regard for Tony Blair is on record, but even his biggest detractors would agree that he is no fool. Tony would have realised that Clare had the potential to cause trouble, so he handed her something which she was interested in, and could be passionate about, Poverty In The Third World. It was not one of the "high risk" posts which could cause his government damage, if Clare went off the rails whilst at the helm.

The Iraq War then arrived, and the angry firebrand Clare of old, soon did emerge. No TV station was safe as she prowled around the corridors, threatening to resign to any journalist who would listen. However, when the bombing commenced, she stayed put in her job despite her bluster. I have no problem with Ministers resigning on matters of principle, it is the honourable thing to do. The late Robin Cook won much respect when he resigned from the government straight after Tony Blair announced we would be going to war.

Clare Short, who clearly loved the trappings of ministerial power more than most, vainly responded to the ridicule of herself in the papers by belatedly resigning. After further derision, the MP for Birmingham Ladywood then devoted herself to her constituency work.....

Dream On!

Ever since going, Short has spent every waking moment attacking her own government and rebelling on every matter from terrorism to health and education policy. The venom of her attacks on Tony Blair have bordered on the personal, despite the fact that he was the PM who had championed her, by promoting her into his cabinet.

Clare then become a born again Brown-ite, cosying up to the Chancellor and his circle, had she one eye on the ministerial limo rolling up her drive again. Of course, this also ended in acrimony, when Gordon announced that he would have to replace Trident on his watch. Everybody who does not live in a socialist utopia realises he would have to do this, to keep Britain safe and her defences up to date in the post 9/11 world. This falling out, then gave Clare another excuse to do her usual frenzied tour of the media.

Short's announcement yesterday, that she will leave the Commons at the next election, and then campaign for a hung parliament is the final straw. It shows that this deluded and bitter old woman has finally lost it. Surely, she had seen the political carnage of last week? Of course she had. By jumping on the band wagon of Labour bashing, she has shown that the only thing Clare Short cares about now, is Clare Short.

This blatant disregard for the movement in general has to be punished. The hundreds of ordinary Labour Party activists who go doorstep to doorstep in the Midlands, must be horrified at the way, their own MP has betrayed them in such uncertain times for the movement.

In recent years, Clare has done much to destroy this government and we cannot let her get away with it a moment longer. Labour must move fast to boot her out of the party, and the whips must show short shrift, expelling her from the commons.

I welcome her forthcoming twenty volumed autobiography "The EGO has Landed", with about as much joy, as I would a David Cameron led government.

Staying Up For Sharapova

This year, dear readers, I subscribed to Sky television for the sole reason that Test Cricket is no longer shown on Channel Four, or indeed anywhere else live on traditional television. It has meant some additional bonuses such as being able to follow the US Open tennis, becoming an insomniac and alcoholic in the process, as most of the good stuff is on after twelve, including most of Maria Sharapova's matches.

Wimbledon will always be my favourite tournament, due to its magnificient well kept grass and appearance of the place, the Pimms, strawberries and traditions. Also, I will never forget sleeping on the pavement overnight to get in, with my wonderful friends from university. However, this fortnight so far at Flushing Meadow, has been quite something in tennis terms with some classic moments. Who could forget Andre Agassi's tearful goodbye to his career. For once, American sentiment seemed einterely appropriate, as everybody paid tribute to his genius.

Another sensation, was the five set battle between Andrew Murray and Fernando Gonzalez, with Murray coming from 2 sets down to win. It was awesome stuff. I am slowly forgiving Murray for his anti English comments during the World Cup, because he is now letting his talent do the talking. I was actually quite sad when he went out in the next round. Despite this, it is worth bearing in mind, that the Scot has beaten Federer this year and is going to be a formidable talent in 2007.

Tonight's semi final, between Man-resmo (not a spelling mistake) and Maria Sharapova was the icing on the cake for me, as Sharapova finally defeated the French woman who had knocked her out of this year's Wimbledon. Sharapova had not reached a final since her great win at Wimbledon in 2004, so this was a special moment to witness. Maria had also never beaten World No 1 Amelie in their three previous meetings, so I was nervous watching it. This time, however, the blonde bombshell, turned the tables and beat her in spectacular fashion, 6-0, 4-6 and then 6-0 again. This was a great riposte to the idle and inane sports writers of the UK who have been busy writing her off as a one trick pony, or moaning about her wonderous grunting. Next up, the final beckons, with Sharapova facing the talented Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Now what time, does this potential classic start, 1 am sunday morning.... looks like the gorgeous Sharapova will be keeping me up again!

A Question Of Loyalty?

I never thought I would I say this, but the sheer disgracefulness of Labour MPs at the moment is making me want to tear up my membership card, and throw it in the bin after 14 years of loyal participation. It has been 19 years, since I started supporting Labour and I have never seen such dark days for the movement. The way these politicians have turned on the Prime Minister, Tony Blair is an outrage. This is a decent, outstanding leader who has worked tirelessly for our party, winning us three historic general elections in a row. How dare Labour MP's repay him in this way, it is disgusting.

As for New Labour man personified, Chris Bryant MP, organising a revolt, the words Judas and Iscariot have never seemed more apt. We should of course, be fighting Cameron's lunatic Tories and their equally barking press pack, not each other.

If Tony Blair is forced out before May 2007, I do not think at this moment, that I could stay in the Labour Party. I would not want to be associated with such an ill mannered rabble, stabbing a great man in the back who has done so much good for his party, country and people.

I say to my party, remember that May morning in 1997, when Tony Blair strode into Downing Street. We all had tears of joy streaming down our faces that the Tories were gone after 18 long terrible years. Remember it, saviour it still, and then show some bloody loyalty to our Prime Minister in return.