ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH BLAIR
"It has been a privilege for me to work with the most successful ever Labour leader and Prime Minister. In the time we’ve been MPs, working together for more than 23 years, I believe that we have real achievements together. But it’s hardly surprising that as in any relationship there have been times when we have differed. And where over these years, differences have distracted from what matters, I regret that as I know Tony does too."
MORE PRAISE FOR BLAIR
"I will never forget the only reason any of us are here is that we are in politics as servants of the people. And Tony - from the first time we shared that office in 1983 to today - you taught our party, you saw it right, you saw it clearly and you saw it through: that we can’t just be for one section of society, we’ve got to be for all society."
AND EVEN MORE PRAISE FOR BLAIR
"Whether it is building social justice at home, the advances in peace in Northern Ireland, resolution in the face of terrorism and leadership on Africa, let us today applaud the immense national and international contribution, as leader and Prime Minister, of Tony Blair."
HIS BID FOR THE LEADERSHIP
"I am confident that my experience and my values give me the strength to take the tough decisions. I would relish the opportunity to take on David Cameron and the Conservative Party. And in that endeavour I would be determined to draw on all the talents of our party and country."
THE RENEWAL OF NEW LABOUR:
"The renewal of New Labour must and will be built upon these essential truths: a flexible economy, reformed and personalised public services, public and private sectors not at odds but working together so that we can truly deliver opportunity and security not just for some but for all."
HIS PARENTS
"My father was a minister of the church. His motivation was not theological zeal but compassion. He told me: ‘You can make your mark on the world for good or ill.’ And my mother taught my brothers and me that whatever talents we had, however small, we should use them. I don’t romanticise my upbringing. But my parents were more than an influence. They were - and still are - my inspiration; the reason I am in politics. And all I believe and all I try to do comes from the values I learned from them. they believed in duty, responsibility and respect for others. They believed in honesty and hard work, and that the things that matter had to be worked for."
BRITISHNESS
"When I’m in Scotland some people say it’s just to defeat today’s Scottish nationalists but I’ve spent all my political life defending the unity of Great Britain against narrow nationalism. When I’m in England some people say I talk about Britishness because I’m now embarrassed about being Scottish. Let me say I am proud to be Scottish and British."
WHY HE JOINED THE LABOUR PARTY
"That’s why I joined the Labour Party - out of faith, faith in people, that they should have the opportunities to realise their potential. And I believed then and I believe now that at all times the Labour Party must stand for more than a programme. We must have a soul."
SHARED VALUES
"......the British people must be far more explicit about the common ground on which we stand, the shared values which bring us together, the habits of citizenship around which we can and must unite. Expect all who are in our country to play by our rules. And while we do not today have a written constitution it comes back to being sure about and secure in the values that matter: freedom, democracy and fairness. The shared values we were brought up with and must not lose: fair play, respect, a decent chance in life."
THE NEED FOR A COMMON LANGUAGE
"Let me say something which I know is controversial but I know needs to be said: If we are to uphold these values that matter most we need not only respect for all traditions but also a common language."
"And in addition to rules for managed migration and the decision we will apply to Romania and Bulgaria, it is right that people who come to and are in this country to stay learn English, have some sense of what it means to be British, of our history and our culture and - through citizenship tests and citizenship ceremonies - take British citizenship seriously."
THE DECADE AHEAD
"Here is the deal for the next decade we must offer: no matter your class, colour or creed, the equal opportunity to use your talents. In return we expect and demand responsibility: an acceptance there are common standards and rules to be upheld. Opportunity, yes, so let me say it must always be a mark of British citizenship that we root out discrimination, prejudice and racism from whatever source it comes."
TERRORISM
"Let me promise - as a Government we will take any necessary steps and find all necessary resources to ensure whether in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else there is no safe haven for terrorists and no hiding place for terrorist finance. But we also know that we must isolate these murderous extremists and we will do so best when we, the British people, mobilise the essential decency and moderation of all our communities and win the battle of ideas for hearts and minds."
THE ENVIRONMENT
“I make this promise: tackling climate change must not be an excuse for rich countries to impose a new environmental colonialism, sheltering an unsustainable prosperity at the expense of the development of the poor. So Britain is calling on the World Bank and our international partners to create, for alternative energy for poorer countries, a 20 billion dollar global fund, meeting our obligations that, to safeguard our common planet, the financial resources of the richest countries should be put at the service of the poor.”
EDUCATION
"We cannot tolerate second best investment in our schools. Step by step we will raise investment in state school pupils - now £5,500 per pupil - to today’s level for private school pupils - £8,000 a year. I want a Britain not just of excellence in education but a Britain of full employment and an end to the dole as we know it".
