Tony Blair's speech to the British labour party conference, Brighton, 2nd October, 2001.

The Millennium a moment in time. But it the events of 11 September marked a turning point in , where we confront the dangers the future and assess the facing humankind.
It was a . An act of evil. From nation, goes our deepest sympathy prayers for the victims and profound solidarity with the American .
We were with you at first. We will stay with to the last.
Just weeks ago, in New York, the church service I met of the families of the victims.
It was in many a very British occasion. Tea biscuits. It was raining outside. the edge of the room, making small talk, trying to normal people in an abnormal . And as you crossed the , you felt the longing and ; hands clutching photos of sons daughters, wives and husbands; imploring to believe them when they there was still an outside of their loved ones being alive, when you knew in that all hope was gone.
then a middle aged mother you in the eyes and you her only son has , and asks you: why?
I you: you do not feel the most powerful person in country at times like that.
there is no answer. There no justification for their pain. son did nothing wrong. The , seven months pregnant, whose child never know its father, did wrong.
They don't want . They want something better in of their loved ones.
believe their memorial can and be greater than simply the of the guilty. It is out of the shadow of evil, should emerge lasting good: of the machinery of terrorism it is found; hope amongst nations of a new beginning we seek to resolve differences a calm and ordered way; understanding between nations and between ; and above all justice and for the poor and dispossessed, that people everywhere can see chance of a better future the hard work and creative of the free citizen, not violence and savagery of the .
I know that here in people are anxious, even a frightened. I understand that. People we must act but they what might follow.
They worry the economy and talk of .
And, of course there are ; it is a new situation.
the fundamentals of the US, and European economies are strong.
reasonable measure of internal security being undertaken.
Our way of is a great deal stronger will last a great deal than the actions of fanatics, in number and now facing unified world against them.
People have confidence.
This is battle with only one outcome: victory not theirs.
What on 11 September was without in the bloody history of .
Within a few hours, to 7000 people were annihilated, commercial centre of New York reduced to rubble and in and Pennsylvania further death and on an unimaginable scale. Let one say this was a for Islam when the blood innocent Muslims was shed along those of the Christian, Jewish other faiths around the world.
know those responsible. In Afghanistan scores of training camps for export of terror. Chief amongst sponsors and organisers is Usama Laden.
He is supported, and given succour by the regime.
Two days before the September attacks, Masood, the Leader the Opposition Northern Alliance, was by two suicide bombers. Both linked to Bin Laden. Some call that coincidence. I call payment - payment in the these people deal in: blood.
in no doubt: Bin Laden his people organised this atrocity. Taliban aid and abet him. will not desist from further of terror. They will not helping him.
Whatever the dangers the action we take, the of inaction are far, far .
Look for a moment at Taliban regime. It is undemocratic. goes without saying.
There no sport allowed, or television photography. No art or culture permitted. All other faiths, all interpretations of Islam are ruthlessly . Those who practice their faith imprisoned. Women are treated in way almost too revolting to credible. First driven out of ; girls not allowed to go school; no legal rights; unable go out of doors without man. Those that disobey are .
There is now no contact with western agencies, even those food. The people live in poverty. It is a regime on fear and funded on drugs trade. The biggest drugs in the world is in , controlled by the Taliban. Ninety cent of the heroin on streets originates in Afghanistan.
arms the Taliban are buying are paid for with the of young British people buying drugs on British streets.
That another part of their regime we should seek to destroy.
what do we do?
't overreact some say. We aren't.
haven't lashed out. No on the first night just effect.
Don't kill innocent people. are not the ones who war on the innocent. We the guilty.
Look for diplomatic solution. There is no with Bin Laden or the regime.
State an ultimatum and their response. We stated the ; they haven't responded.
Understand the of terror. Yes, we should , but let there be no ambiguity about this: nothing could justify the events of 11 , and it is to turn on its head to pretend could.
The action we will be proportionate; targeted; we do all we humanly can avoid civilian casualties. But understand we are dealing with. Listen the calls of those passengers the planes. Think of the on them, told they were to die.
Think of cruelty beyond our comprehension as the screams and the anguish the innocent, those hijackers drove full throttle planes laden with into buildings where tens of worked.
They have no moral on the slaughter of the . If they could have murdered 7,000 but 70,000 does anyone they would have done so rejoiced in it?
There no compromise possible with such , no meeting of minds, no of understanding with such terror.
a choice: defeat it or defeated by it. And defeat we must.
Any action will be against the terrorist of Bin Laden.
As for Taliban, they can surrender the ; or face the consequences and in any action the aim be to eliminate their military , cut off their finances, disrupt supplies, target their troops, not . We will put a trap the regime.
I say to Taliban : surrender the terrorists; surrender power. It's your choice.
will take action at every , national and international, in the , in G8, in the EU, NATO, in every regional grouping the world, to strike at terrorism wherever it exists.
the first time, the UN Council has imposed mandatory obligations all UN members to cut terrorist financing and end safe for terrorists.
Those that finance , those who launder their money, that cover their tracks are bit as guilty as the who commits the final act.
in this country and in nations round the world, laws be changed, not to deny liberties but to prevent their and protect the most basic of all: freedom from terror. extradition laws will be introduced; rules to ensure asylum is a front for terrorist entry. country is proud of its in giving asylum to those tyranny. We will always do . But we have a duty protect the system from abuse.
must be overhauled radically that from now on, those abide by the rules get and those that don't, can longer play the system to unfair advantage over others.
the world, 11 September is Governments and people to reflect, and change. And in this , amidst all the talk of and action, there is another appearing.
There is a together. The power of community asserting itself. We are realising fragile are our frontiers in face of the world's new .
Today conflicts rarely stay national boundaries.
Today a in one financial market is in the markets of the .
Today confidence is global; either presence or its absence.
Today threat is chaos; because for with work to do, family to balance, mortgages to pay, to further, pensions to provide, yearning is for order and and if it doesn't exist , it is unlikely to exist .
I have long believed this defines the new world we in.
People say: we are acting because it's the USA was attacked. Double standards, they . But when Milosevic embarked on ethnic cleansing of Muslims in , we acted.
The sceptics it was pointless, we'd make worse, we'd make Milosovic stronger look what happened, we won, refugees went home, the policies ethnic cleansing were reversed and of the great dictators of last century, will see justice this century.
And I you if Rwanda happened again as it did in 1993, a million people were slaughtered cold blood, we would have moral duty to act there . We were there in Sierra when a murderous group of threatened its democratically elected Government people.
And we as country should, and I as Minister do, give thanks for brilliance, dedication and sheer professionalism the British Armed Forces.
We 't do it all. Neither can Americans.
But the power of international community could, together, if chose to.
It could, with help, sort out the blight is the continuing conflict in Democratic Republic of the Congo, three million people have died war or famine in the decade.
A Partnership for , between the developed and developing based around the New African , is there to be done we find the will.
our side: provide more aid, to trade; write off debt; with good governance and infrastructure; to the soldiers, with UN , in conflict resolution; encouraging investment; access to our markets so we practise the free trade are so fond of preaching.
it's a deal: on the side: true democracy, no more for dictatorship, abuses of human ; no tolerance of bad governance, the endemic corruption of some , to the activities of Mr 's henchmen in Zimbabwe. Proper commercial, and financial systems.
The , with our help, to broker for peace and provide troops police them.
The state Africa is a scar on conscience of the world. But the world as a community on it, we could heal . And if we don't, it become deeper and angrier.
We defeat climate change if we to. Kyoto is right. We implement it and call upon other nations to do so.
it's only a start. imagination, we could use or the technologies that create energy destroying our planet; we could work and trade without deforestation.
humankind was able, finally, to industrial progress without the factory of the 19th Century; surely have the wit and will develop economically without despoiling the environment we depend upon. And we wanted to, we could new life into the Middle Peace Process and we must.
state of Israel must be recognition by all; freed from ; know that it is accepted part of the future of Middle East not its very under threat. The Palestinians must justice, the chance to prosper in their own land, as partners with Israel in that .
We know that. It is only way, just as we in our own peace process, Northern Ireland, there will be unification of Ireland except by - and there will be return to the days of or Protestant supremacy because those have no place in the world. So the unionists must justice and equality for nationalists.
Republicans must show they given up violence - not a ceasefire but weapons put use. And not only the , but those people who call Loyalists, but who by acts terrorism, sully the name of United Kingdom.
We know also. The values we believe should shine through what we in Afghanistan.
To the Afghan we make this commitment. The will not be the end. will not walk away, as outside world has done so times before.
If the Taliban changes, we will work with to make sure its successor one that is broad-based, that all ethnic groups, and that some way out of the poverty that is your present .
And, more than ever now, every bit as much thought planning, we will assemble a coalition alongside the military coalition that inside and outside Afghanistan, refugees, four and a hlf on the move even before September, are given shelter, food help during the winter months.
world community must show as its capacity for compassion as force.
The critics will : but how can the world a community? Nations act in own self-interest. Of course they . But what is the lesson the financial markets, climate change, terrorism, nuclear proliferation or world ? It is that our self-interest our mutual interests are today woven together.
This is the of globalisation.
I realise people protest against globalisation.
We aspects of it with trepidation. feel powerless, as if we now pushed to and fro forces far beyond our control.
there's a risk that political , faced with street demonstrations, pander the argument rather than answer . The demonstrators are right to there's injustice, poverty, environmental degradation.
globalisation is a fact and, and large, it is driven people.
Not just in , but in communication, in technology, in culture, in recreation. In world of the internet, information and TV, there will be . And in trade, the problem not there's too much of ; on the contrary there's too of it.
The issue is how to stop globalisation.
issue is how we use power of community to combine with justice. If globalisation works for the benefit of the , then it will fail and deserve to fail. But if follow the principles that have us so well at home that power, wealth and opportunity be in the hands of many, not the few - we make that our guiding for the global economy, then will be a force for and an international movement that should take pride in leading.
the alternative to globalisation is .
Confronted by this reality, the world, nations are instinctively together. In Quebec, all the of North and South America to make one huge free area, rivalling Europe. In Asia, . In Europe, the most integrated of all, we are now nations. Another 12 countries negotiating join, and more beyond that.
new relationship between Russia Europe is beginning.
And not India and China, each three times as many citizens the whole of the EU together, once their economies have sufficiently as they will do, reconfigure entirely the geopolitics of world and in our lifetime?
is why, with 60 per of our trade dependent on , three million jobs tied up Europe, much of our political engaged in Europe, it would a fundamental denial of our national interest to turn our on Europe.
We will never that happen.
For 50 , Britain has, uncharacteristically, followed not in Europe.
At each every step. There are debates to our future coming up: we reform European economic policy; we take forward European defence; we fight organised crime and .
Britain needs its voice in Europe and bluntly Europe a strong Britain, rock solid our alliance with the USA, determined to play its full in shaping Europe's destiny.
We only be part of the currency if the economic conditions met. They are not window-dressing a political decision. They are . But if they are met, should join, and if met this Parliament, we should have courage of our argument, to the British people for their in this Parliament.
Europe not a threat to Britain. is an opportunity.
It is taking the best of the and European models of development Britain's hope of a prosperous lies. The American spirit of ; the European spirit of solidarity. have, here also, an opportunity. just to build bridges politically, economically.
What is the answer the current crisis? Not isolationism the world coming together with as a community.
What is answer to Britain's relations with ? Not opting out, but being members of a community in , in alliance with others, we strength.
What is the answer Britain's future? Not each person themselves, but working together as community to ensure that everyone, just the privileged few get chance to succeed.
This is extraordinary moment for progressive politics.
values are the right ones this age: the power of , solidarity, the collective ability to the individual's interests.
People ask if I think ideology is . My answer is:
In the of rigid forms of economic social theory, yes.
The Century killed those ideologies and passing causes little regret. But, the sense of a governing in politics, based on values, . The governing idea of modern democracy is community. Founded on principles of social justice. That should rise according to merit birth; that the test of decent society is not the of the wealthy and strong, the commitment to the poor weak.
But values aren't enough. mantle of leadership comes at price: the courage to learn change; to show how values stand for all ages, can applied in a way relevant each age.
Our politics succeed when the realism is clear as the idealism.
This 's strength today comes from the of change and learning we made.
We learnt that however we strive for peace, we strong defence capability where a approach fails.
We learnt that is about equal worth, not outcomes.
Today our idea of is shaped around mutual responsibility; deal, an agreement between citizens a one-way gift, from the to the dependent.
Our economic social policy today owes as to the liberal social democratic of Lloyd George, Keynes and as to the socialist principles the 1945 Government.
Just over decade ago, people asked if could ever win again. Today ask the same question of Opposition. Painful though that journey change has been, it has worth it, every stage of way.
On this journey, the have never changed. The aims 't. Our aims would be instantly to every Labour leader from Hardie onwards. But the means change.
The journey hasn't . It never ends. The next for New Labour is not ; it is renewing ourselves again. after the election, an old of mine said: "Come on , now we've won again, can't drop all this New Labour do what we believe in?"
said: "It's worse than you . I really do believe in ".
We didn't revolutionise British economic - Bank of England independence, spending rules - for some reason or as a clever to steal Tory clothes.
did it because the victims economic incompetence - 15% interest , 3 million unemployed- are hard-working . They are the ones - even more so, now - tough times ahead - that economy should be run for, speculators, or currency dealers or executives whose pay packets don't to bear any resemblance to performance of their companies.
Economic is the pre-condition of social .
We have legislated for fairness work, like the minimum wage people struggled a century for. we won't give up the flexibility of our economy or commitment to enterprise.
Why? in a world leaving behind production, where technology revolutionises not companies but whole industries, almost , enterprise creates the jobs people on.
We have boosted pensions, benefit, family incomes. We will more. But our number one for spending is and will education.
Why? Because in new markets countries like Britain only create wealth by brain not low wages and sweatshop .
We have cut youth unemployment 75 per cent.
By than any Government before us. we refuse to pay benefit those who refuse to work. ? Because the welfare that works welfare that helps people to themselves.
The graffiti, the vandalism, burnt out cars, the street drug dealers, the teenage mugger graduating from the minor school crime: we're not old fashioned right-wing to take action against social menace.
We're standing for the people we represent, play by the rules and a right to expect others do the same.
And especially this time let us say: celebrate the diversity in our , get strength from the cultures races that go to make Britain today; and racist abuse racist attacks have no place the Britain we believe in.