UK News 01-10-2003 He`s Not For Turning who: Tony Blair what: Says he won`t reverse gear on reform plans where: BOURNEMOUTH when: Yesterday snippet: "Tony Blair secured his future as leader of the Labour Party yesterday," reports The Scotsman`s political editor, Fraser Nelson, "after telling its annual conference only he could deliver a third term and that he did not have a `reverse gear` to retreat from public service reform." Several headlines this morning note the echo of Margaret Thatcher`s "the lady`s not for turning" speech in 1981 and, says The Independent, the speech won "a warm, but not ecstatic, seven-minute standing ovation". Nevertheless, writes political editor Andrew Grice, "there was no immediate sign of the Iraq furore abating last night as the issue ignited". After warning him yesterday that he was "on a yellow card", The Sun`s Trevor Kavanagh insists that while the prime minister`s speech might have been "strong on rhetoric," he said nothing that contradicted the "list of failures" the paper accused him of the day before - namely his backing for the European single currency, his failure to "crack down" on asylum seekers and to reform education and the health service. Despite indications this weekend that war would not be on the conference agenda, it is due for a 75-minute airing today, followed by a vote, in a debate on the National Policy Report on foreign affairs, says the BBC. Foreign secretary Jack Straw, international development secretary Baroness Amos and defence secretary Geoff Hoon will address the debate. As a side dish today, The Independent serves up an interview with the owner of Islington restaurant Granita, which featured in Sunday night`s television drama The Deal and is supposedly the location in which Gordon Brown reluctantly agreed to stand aside to let his old friend Tony Blair become Labour Party leader in 1994. But media editor Vincent Graff doesn`t shed much light on the subject. Vikki Leffman served dinner to the future leaders and is outraged by the fictional menu and set design, but she says she didn`t have time to eavesdrop on their conversation. Damn. [... more]

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