Labour Stakes Claim to be the True British Party

Prime Minister Tony Blair will launch a cabinet campaign to portray Labour as the true party of British values, countering William Hague's proposal for English-only MPs to vote on English laws. Blair will argue that Labour's commitment to the Union Flag and Britishness is stronger than the Conservative Party's, which he claims is being pulled apart by English nationalism. In a speech to regional newspaper editors, Blair will highlight Labour's achievements in defending Britain's interests in Europe and promoting British values such as work ethic and self-improvement.

Key Takeaways:

• Tony Blair will claim that Labour's commitment to Britishness is stronger than the Conservative Party's, which is being pulled apart by English nationalism.
• Labour strategists argue that their party is now the only effective and credible party for the Union, citing the Tories' inability to claim Unionism due to Mr. Hague's flirtation with English nationalism.
• Labour will argue that their devolution of power to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly has helped to hold the Union together by recognizing pressures for separate national identities.
• William Hague has accused Tony Blair of constitutional vandalism and creating an unbalanced constitution through ill-thought-out changes to the House of Lords.
• Labour's spokesman has acknowledged that Mr. Blair is seeking to highlight the weakness of Mr. Hague's "English votes on English laws" proposal, viewing it as "totally the wrong answer" to the issue of how voters' interests should be represented in the post-devolution era.

Statistics:

• 1948: The year in which the National Health Service, founded by a Labour Government, was established.
• 2000: The year in which Tony Blair's speech to regional newspaper editors will take place.

Sources:

• The Times, 2000