Tony Blair ignored a walkout by delegates and rowdy jeers from the floor as he used his last speech to the TUC Congress as Prime Minister to deliver a warning that disunity on the Left would mean a return to the dark days of opposition.
Mr Blair also told 700 TUC delegates in Brighton that British workers should not fear the effects of globalisation or of European Union enlargement.
In the face of a party rebellion, Mr Blair confirmed last week that this year’s TUC Congress would be the last he addressed as Labour leader, quipping that it would be “probably to the relief of both of us”.
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But in a conspicuous display of bravado, he did not just deliver his speech but stayed around afterward to take a raft of largely hostile questions about Labour’s policies on public services, employment law and the economy.
He said: “However difficult it is, however fraught our relations from time to time, make no mistake - I want the TUC to go on being addressed by a Labour Prime Minister not to addressed again by a leader of the opposition for 18 years.
“And the key to ensuring that this happens doesn’t lie in today’s headlines but in answers to tomorrow’s challenges.”
Tackling the major theme of his speech, Mr Blair said that the “real question that should dominate politics today” was that of the correct response to globalisation, which he said boiled down to the choice between an open society or a closed one.
He told delegates: “If we believe in ourselves we can be strong.”
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“I don’t want to live in a closed society,” Mr Blair added. “One that hides away in the face of terrorism or leaves others to do the dirty job of fighting it. One that sees immigrants as ‘swamping us’. One that concentrates on protecting a job at the expense of creating others.
“I want an open society with rules - one that delights in its tolerance and pursues justice not only within our borders but outside them.
“Such a society has in-built confidence. It is optimistic by nature. It sees opportunities before threats; looks to potential first and anxiety second. It knows there is a price to pay, but knows also that to refuse to pay it costs us much more in the longer term.
“Protectionism in the economy, isolation in world affairs, nativism within our society, all, in the end, mean weakness in the face of challenge. If we believe in ourselves we can be strong. We can overcome the challenge of global change, better, we can relish its possibilities.”
Mr Blair was heckled from the floor when he defended Britain’s role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He responded to banners demanding the withdrawal of troops saying:
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“Since I am on this subject, you can hold up your posters about troops out but the reason troops are in is because the democratic governments of Iraq and Afghanistan need our troops to protect their people against the Taleban and al-Qaeda.”
When his reaction was greeted by applause and more shouts, the Prime Minister continued: “Look you can disagree, but just listen to the argument please - just for once - it’s a democratic debate, ask a question afterwards but listen to the arguments.”
Back within the confines of his prepared remarks, Mr Blair described a “mindset of fear” that was undermining the need for a confident response to the globalisation of financial markets, mass migration and terrorism.
“Suddenly we feel under threat,” he said. “Physically from this new terrorism that is coming onto our streets, culturally as new waves of migrants change our society, and economically because an open world economy is hastening the sharpness of competition.
“People feel they are working longer, but are less secure. They feel the rules are changing and they never voted to change them. They feel, in a word, powerless.
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“This is producing a pessimism that is pervasive and fearful because there seems no way through, or at least a way under our control.”
But he insisted that the 30 million workers, tourists and students who come into the UK each year are vital to the country’s future. “Put this at risk and we’re sunk,” he said.
The arrival of hundreds of thousands of workers from the new EU states of eastern Europe since 2004 had caused concern and put strains on public services in some areas, he acknowledged.
But he insisted: “Be clear: an enlarged Europe has been good for Europe and for Britain... Lose the argument over enlargement and we will rue the consequences.”
Mr Blair characterised the debate between an open and closed society as one that confused politicians by ignoring the traditional political boundaries of Left and Right. He said that any confident approach would rely on values: “Most especially those that combine liberty with justice, security with tolerance and respect for others.”
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Today’s walk-out was led by Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) which was expelled from the Labour movement two years ago for supporting more radical parties. Its delegates, holding up banners saying “Go Now” and “Public Services not Private Profit”, followed Mr Crow from the hall.
Mr Crow said: “What is the point of listening to someone when you cannot believe a word they say? In opposition, Blair promised a publicly-owned railway, an ethical foreign policy and full labour laws.
“He has delivered privatisation, illegal wars and the boast that Britain has the harshest anti-union legislation in western Europe.”
Later today, Peter Hain is to use a fringe meeting at the TUC conference to launch his campaign to be Labour’s next deputy leader.
The Northern Ireland Secretary has let it be known that he is in the running for the job currently performed by John Prescott, who is expected to step down at the same time as Mr Blair, some time next spring or early summer.
The job of deputy leader traditionally has a strong role in managing the party, which has become increasingly alienated from Mr Blair on issues such as the Iraq war and NHS reform. Mr Hain will claim that he is best placed to reconnect the party with the Government, and restore what he calls the “shattered progressive consensus”.
Mr Hain will also firmly ally himself with Gordon Brown, saying that he has been loyal to Mr Blair, and if elected would show the same commitment to Mr Brown, whom “no-one could or should beat” to the leadership.