Labour In Blackpool: The man who stole the show

It was not just the best speech of this Labour Conference - even many journalists watching the performance with cynical eyes agreed it was the best political speech they had heard.

It overshadowed Tony Blair's rallying call on Tuesday, and it is up there with Nelson Mandela's address two years ago when he thanked Labour for its support in the struggle against apartheid.

Although deprived of political office and power, yesterday's "fraternal international guest" wowed not only the delegates, not only British TV viewers, but a worldwide audience with a message of peace and reconciliation.

It was quite brilliant.

There was a touch of Hollywood in Blackpool with actor Kevin Spacey, Clinton's best friend, in the audience, and only a movie scriptwriter could have coined the former president's opening line: "Clinton, Bill. Arkansas CLP (Constituency Labour Party)."

They were eating out of his hand - even when he suggested that military action against Iraq should be used as a last resort.

He preferred, though, to push the case for the United Nations and even admitted that America, the last of the superpowers, had - even under his own administration - made huge past mistakes in international policy.

But he urged opposing forces to join hands to eliminate poverty, tackle environmental problems, and confront terrorism and oppression.

He repeatedly praised Tony Blair's "Third Way" as the only way of dealing with the world's woes. Even though in Britain, the soundbite has had its day, Mr Clinton said the "true and ultimate" Third Way was "a simple set of ideas".

He said: "All of the hopes that I have for my daughter's generation to the grandchildren I hope to have, rest upon our ability to get the world to embrace a simple set of ideas.

"If we do it, the 21st Century will be the brightest time the world has ever known."

Using only notes, his speech ranged over a variety of topics. He gave a ringing endorsement for Mr Blair's drive for further reform of the public services, but he struck the greatest chord when he attacked the right-wing parties of both George W Bush and Iain Duncan Smith.

"I understand now that your Tories are calling themselves compassionate Conservatives," he said.

"I admire a good phrase. I respect, as a matter of professional art, adroit rhetoric. And I know that all politics is a combination of rhetoric and reality.

"Here is what I want you to know: the rhetoric is compassionate, the conservative is the reality."

The audience loved it, and when he took his leave there was little sign of the anti-Americanism Mr Blair railed against 24 hours earlier.

Education Minister 'looking to the future'

EDUCATION Secretary Estelle Morris yesterday defended the "comprehensive ideal" but followed her leader in looking forward to the post-comprehensive era.

Ms Morris admitted that the A-level grading fiasco had meant a tough few weeks, but her speech explained more of Tony Blair's ideas for the next wave of education reform.

"I tell you what I mean by a post-comprehensive era," she said.

"It cherishes the values of opportunity and worth, but it's open and honest about its strengths and weaknesses and brave about where it goes next."

She pledged to develop advanced schools and city academies and said she wanted to see every school develop as a specialist school.

Ms Morris also vowed to stand firm against intimidation of teachers by parents.

The Education Secretary, though, came under fire from members over a range of issues, including teacher workloads and specialist schools.

Malcolm Horne, of the Socialist Education Association, branded specialist schools and city academies as "destructive" to the comprehensive principle.

Extra funding for such schools was creating a two-tier education system where "one class of school and one group of students are much better funded than others".

Catherine Gregory, a primary school teacher, attacked workloads, telling Ms Morris that teachers were "entitled to a life outside the classroom".

MP's domestic violence Bill

A NORTH-EAST MP chaired a fringe meeting this week as part of her campaign for a new domestic violence Bill.

Vera Baird, MP for Cleveland, said she received the support of Harriet Harman, the Solicitor General, in her call for a new Bill.

The legislation would be the first law on domestic violence since 1976.

She said: "This new legislation is certainly necessary. Research shows that up to one in four women suffer from violence at home and it needs stopping.

"The Solicitor General has agreed to come to Teesside to meet local women and discuss their concerns."

Reforms 'to offer patients choice'

HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn yesterday promised to offer patients more choice in his reforms of the NHS.

He told delegates in a question and answer session at the conference that local people and local staff had to take ownership of the NHS.

The reforms, which will involve speeding up the private financing of new hospitals and devolving control of treatment to local trusts, were based on the principle of creating more choice, he said.

Referring to the Prime Minister's rallying speech on Tuesday, he said: "When Tony said the time is to be bold he was right. We have to drive through the improvements, because we will never get the chance again.

"We're putting in the investment, and now we have to get the reforms."

He added: "The Tories are sitting there waiting for us to fail. It is not whether we are bringing in too much reform, but whether we are reforming enough."

He said it was "not about privatisation, it is about giving power to local communities".

He attacked the Tories and doubters in the media for rejecting the Government's claims about its achievements.

"There is a mood of cynicism that part of the media spreads. When I say we have 40,000 more nurses they say it isn't true. It is true. It is the message we have to get across."

Pressing home his message of more choice, he said: "There has always been a choice in this country - if you are prepared to pay for it. What I want to do is make choice available for all - irrespective of ability to pay."

He added that it should "not be the hospital choosing the patient but the patient choosing the hospital".

Primary Care Trusts (PCT) - committees of local GPs buying care - were only six months old, he said. "They have only just come in. We have to give them time to develop."

Referring to the new PCT in his Darlington constituency, he said: "I honestly do believe that I have an organisation in this town that knows the town's needs and is addressing the town's needs.