Blears rallies the party for 'the fight of your lives'

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The Communities Secretary told Labour activists today that they should be proud of their party's past and have faith in its future in government, despite David Cameron's huge lead in the polls.

Her upbeat assessment at the party's conference clearly echoed David Miliband's call to the party yesterday to end its "defeatism".

Ms Blears betrayed her concern that many MPs - some of whom face wipeout in marginal seats - were prepared to give up without a fight.

In a rallying speech, she said: "Are we really going to let the Tories get away with it? Stroll into Downing Street without a fight? Not in a million years. We are Labour. To win, we must be proud of our past. Confident about our future. Building on our success.

"And we are ready to take on these Tories, scrutinise every claim, test every argument, let no lie go unchallenged. This will be the fight of our lives, but I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She conceded that Labour politicians-were "a little odd at times" but insisted that "underneath we get it".

She strayed dangerously close to the discredited "class war" strategy against the Tories by suggesting Mr Cameron's team felt they had a divine right to power.

"Every single thing the Conservatives have done since 2005, every speech, policy launch, photo-opportunity, has been with one simple, cynical aim: to get the Conservatives back into power," she said.

"Power because they believe they have the right to it. Yes, power because they believe they were born to it. Power, not because they can use it to help people but power because they can't bear to be without it."

Ms Blears praised London Mayor Boris Johnson for dismissing Mr Cameron's talk about "broken Britain" as "piffle".

"How dare Cameron dismiss all the efforts of the councillors, community groups, churches, charities, all the people who are active in their neighbourhoods," she asked.

She said Labour should do more to get young people into polling stations, adding: "The next election will be about the future."