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Blair gives no hints on his future

British Prime Minister Tony Blair ruled out a withdrawal of British troops from Iraq and gave no hint of when he would leave office -- two issues of burning interest to his governing Labour Party.

In a passionate speech to the party's annual conference on Tuesday, Blair said Britain had a duty to defend democracy in Iraq.

He set out a sweeping agenda for his final term in office, hoping his vision for Britain will quell demands from sections of the party that he step down early. Speculation over when Blair will quit has dominated the convention, with all eyes on his likely successor, Treasury chief Gordon Brown.

Blair gave no hint of when he would go, and instead promised bold reforms of Britain's public services. With critics agitating for a smooth handover to Brown within a couple of years, Blair's timetable to secure a political legacy other than Iraq may be tight.

"The world is on the move, the change in the early 21st century even greater than that of the late 20th century. So now in turn, we have to change again," said Blair, insisting the party must continue with what he calls modernization rather than shift back to the left.

He said that in the era of globalization, with increasing competition from emerging economies such as India and China, Britain must continue to invest in its skills base and in education. Blair also repeated his call for economic reform of the EU and held up Britain as a success story.

"This is a country today that increasingly sets the standard. Not for us the malaise of France or the angst of Germany," he said, pointing to high unemployment in continental Europe.

Blair's enthusiastic support of the US-led invasion of Iraq caused his popularity to slump, and although Labour won a third consecutive election earlier this year, its huge lead in Parliament was slashed -- prompting questions about his leadership and authority.

Disquiet about Britain's involvement in Iraq has grown since Sept. 19, when rioters in the southern city of Basra attacked British troops with petrol bombs when the soldiers attempted to rescue two comrades who had been detained by Iraqi police.

"I know there are people, good people, who disagreed with the decision to remove Saddam by force," Blair said. "Yes, several hundred people stoned British troops in Basra. Yes, several thousand run the terrorist insurgency around Baghdad. And yes, as a result of the fighting, innocent people tragically die. ... But eight and a half million Iraqis showed which future they wanted when they came out and voted in January's elections."

"And the way to stop the innocent dying is not to retreat, to withdraw, to hand these people over to the mercy of religious fanatics or relics of Saddam, but to stand up for their right to decide their government in the same democratic way the British people do," he said, to applause from delegates.

The conference is the first since Blair declared last year that he will not seek a fourth term in office.

Although he could serve as prime minister until 2010, some want him to step down in favor of Brown sooner. The issue has dominated chatter among delegates in the corridors of the vast conference center in Brighton, southern England.
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