SO far, so good! Tony Blair's speech to his party's conference hammered home his vision for a future under Labour in fine style.

He made personal promises to the people of Britain and pledged he would start creating a new "Age of Achievement".

His ten-vow "performance contract" is led by a commitment to increase the proportion of our national income spent on education.

Already Mr Blair has given a new, more acceptable look to Labour and made it clear he is not going to be bound by party reactionaries.

It was a splendid speech delivered with evangelical fervour. But as the election gets nearer, Mr Blair will be required to show more than visionary zeal and will have to explain exactly how he will achieve his aims, and where the money will come from for his promises to be kept.

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