Clinton praises Blair and backs Brown
Bill Clinton today praised Gordon Brown for his “brilliant” work and “stunning vision for the future” in a major boost to the chancellor’s leadership campaign.
The former US president also applauded Tony Blair for his “stunning success” as a leader of a progressive party, and gave heartfelt thanks for his personal support.
But he urged delegates at the Labour conference in Manchester to embrace further change after their prime minister quits, saying they must continue to be the “great change agents” in the world.
It is the second time Mr Clinton has spoken at the Labour party conference and today he was clearly enjoying himself, saying: “I’m glad to be back here, I like the Labour conferences.”
He thanked Mr Blair for his leadership and also for his “preservation of the old Atlantic alliance through considerable storm as well as sunshine” – a reference to the widespread view that the prime minister was too close to US president George Bush.
Mr Clinton praised Mr Blair’s speech yesterday – his last as Labour leader – saying it was “proud and humble.it was appropriately full of gratitude and love”.
In a huge boost to Mr Brown’s hopes to become Labour leader – and to the delight of conference delegates – the former president also praised the chancellor’s “brilliant economic leadership”.
He welcomed his campaign to improve education in the developing world, and said Mr Brown’s speech to conference on Monday showed a “brilliant vision of the future”.
Although asked to speak on the role of government in an increasingly inter-dependent world, Mr Clinton had some words of warning for New Labour in the future.
“The test of progressive party is whether it has the courage to change, and whether it works to lift lives, strengthen the nation, advance the world in peace and progress, security and justice,” he told delegates.
“By that standard your prime minister, this government and this party have been a stunning success.”
But he said it was “altogether too easy” when times were good to forget the hard work that preceded it, and assume good results were “part of the natural order of things”.
“The question for New Labour is not whether you will change – it’s how you will change and what direction,” Mr Clinton concluded.
He said their biggest problem was that “people take your achievements and ideas for the future for granted”, but warned that changes in US policy since he was in power proved “it can change quickly”.
“I saw how you reacted to Tony Blair’s speech yesterday – reach back across the years of your memories and remember how hard it was ten years ago for young people to develop ideas appropriate to the time,” Mr Clinton said.
“And how hard it was to stay on the cutting edge during this time. And how important it is that you still be seen as the agents of change.”
