Richard Spring MP
Member of Parliament for West Suffolk

Last night we had an important event in the life of Conservative City Circle which I chair with Michael Spencer of ICAP. We have established City Future to embrace the new generation in the City of London.

400 people turned up to hear Sir John Major launch the event. When we starting planning this reception we thought we would get 200 coming. Such was the enthusiasm that the number of guests was double that.

In 1997, the IMF described this country as having a golden economic scenario and we had the best pensions arrangement in Europe. No more. The attempt by Labour to re-write history looks particularly misplaced now.

There was a tremendous atmosphere at the event. There is a real kindling of interest in the Conservative Party, and our desire to form links with the business community. It certainly bodes well for the future.

You can read more on Sir John’s speech by clicking on the link below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6574215.stm

There are many players who have contributed to the extraordinary sight of Dr Paisley and Gerry Adams coming to an agreement yesterday. There is no doubt that Tony Blair deserves approbation for his role, as does the Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern. None of this would have been achieved without the support of successive Irish governments.

Ireland in the last twenty years has changed so dramatically, and is now so prosperous, that the situation in Northern Ireland ceased to become a romantic quest for unification, but a terrible embarrassment. Equally Americans, after 9/11, began to look more critically at the terrorist links of Sinn Fein/IRA.

Tony Blair will want to include this achievement in his legacy, which he is entitled to do. However we should just remember that all of this was started by John Major, at a time of bombings and real personal danger. It took political courage to press on, when the actions of the IRA continued to fortify the sceptics.

For Tony Blair, and the Labour Party, as John Major discovered, this magnificent breakthrough will not be recognised in the votes of the British electorate.