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| Blair warns Wales over Tory rule | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Tony Blair is addressing the Welsh Labour Party on the first day of its annual conference in Llandudno. | |
| Mr Blair said Wales had been "stronger, fairer and better" under Labour. | |
| In his final speech to the Welsh party as prime minister, he said the only other choice was a Tory-led coalition. | |
| Earlier, First Minister Rhodri Morgan told BBC Wales that the exit strategy from Iraq was "very very problematic" and not "properly thought through". | Earlier, First Minister Rhodri Morgan told BBC Wales that the exit strategy from Iraq was "very very problematic" and not "properly thought through". |
| He said that it was not for him to "say whether Tony Blair should apologise about Iraq or not." | He said that it was not for him to "say whether Tony Blair should apologise about Iraq or not." |
| Mr Blair said the alternative to a Labour government in Wales was a "Tory-led coalition". | |
| "There's only one thing you need to know about the Tories: underneath, whatever the posturing...where the interests of the few conflict with the many, they put the interests of the few first and interests of the many last." | |
| Mr Blair raised a laugh at the start of his speech when he thanked delegates for their welcome and said: "It's amazing how nice people are about you when they know you're going." | |
| In an echo to Mr Blair's speech, earlier, Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said there was a "very clear choice" on 3 May between Welsh Labour under Rhodri Morgan "continuing the success we've had or the Tories back in power in a coalition with the nationalists and Liberal Democrats." | |
| Welsh Labour is preparing to fight assembly elections | Welsh Labour is preparing to fight assembly elections |
| He told the BBC: "That's really the choice... the Tories coming back to run hospitals and schools again and all the destruction that brought to Wales and elsewhere in Britain when they did it." | |
| Mr Hain and Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander are also due to address the two-day conference, which is Labour's last before the Welsh assembly elections in May. | |
| First Minister Mr Morgan will address the conference on Saturday. | |
| 'Very clear choice' | |
| On the eve of the conference, Mr Morgan said Welsh Labour was focusing on the eradication of child poverty, improving education and training and working towards a carbon-free future for Wales. | |
| Mr Morgan told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales that the exit strategy from Iraq was "very very problematic" and not "properly thought through". | Mr Morgan told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales that the exit strategy from Iraq was "very very problematic" and not "properly thought through". |
| He said it was not for him to "say whether Tony Blair should apologise about Iraq or not". Pressed on the fact that 800 Welsh soldiers will be going to Iraq at the time of the May elections, Mr Morgan wished them "a safe return" and said everyone is the armed forces was expected to "do their share" of military service in places like Iraq. | He said it was not for him to "say whether Tony Blair should apologise about Iraq or not". Pressed on the fact that 800 Welsh soldiers will be going to Iraq at the time of the May elections, Mr Morgan wished them "a safe return" and said everyone is the armed forces was expected to "do their share" of military service in places like Iraq. |
| Mr Morgan was asked why he could not make his mind up on Iraq, he said: "I have made my mind up, but it's not relevant to ask me to put myself as though I was in Tony Blair's position in reading the paper that he read - and which I did not. | Mr Morgan was asked why he could not make his mind up on Iraq, he said: "I have made my mind up, but it's not relevant to ask me to put myself as though I was in Tony Blair's position in reading the paper that he read - and which I did not. |
| "All I can see from the outside is that the exit strategy has been very very problematic and wasn't properly thought through. I don't think anybody can argue about that." | "All I can see from the outside is that the exit strategy has been very very problematic and wasn't properly thought through. I don't think anybody can argue about that." |