There was a touch of the prophetic in the timing of this conference, Re-moralising Britain? 10 years of New Labour: Faith, Morals and Governance, held 17-18 May this year. Exactly one week before, Tony Blair announced his imminent departure, closing a chapter on one era of government and opening the doors of frantic speculation on the next. Was Blair and the New Labour project in general guided by a moral agenda? Was Brown? Even the BBC arrived early to glean some sound bites on the ‘Brown question’. The conference was, nevertheless, set up to cast a retrospective glance at the past ten years of New Labour. In spite of the intended emphasis on the question mark in the title, many speakers (including Anthony Giddens and Will Hutton) opted for a positive take on Blair’s legacy. Much was made of the personality politics that characterised Blair’s style... click here to read more.