Tony Blair: 'People want to move on from Iraq'
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Your support makes all the difference."It is a tremendous honour and privilege to be elected for a third term. And I am acutely conscious of that honour and that privilege. When I stood here first, eight years ago, I was a lot younger but also a lot less experienced ...
This is an edited extract of Tony Blair's address in Downing Street on returning from his audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace:
"It is a tremendous honour and privilege to be elected for a third term. And I am acutely conscious of that honour and that privilege. When I stood here first, eight years ago, I was a lot younger but also a lot less experienced ...
"Now the great thing about an election is that you go out and you talk to people for week upon week. And I have listened and I have learned. And I think I have a very clear idea of what the British people now expect from this Government for a third term.
"And I want to say to them very directly, that I, we, the Government are going to focus relentlessly now on the priorities the people have set for us. And what are those priorities?
"Well, first, they like the strong economy. But life is still a real struggle for many people, many families in this country ... many families on low incomes desperately need help and support to increase their living standards.In relation to the public services, health and education, again ... I found absolutely no support for any suggestion we cut back on that investment.
"I have also learned that the British people ... believe there are real problems in our immigration and asylum system and they expect us to sort them out. And we will do so.
"In addition, I know Iraq has been a deeply divisive issue in this country. But I also know and believe that after this election people want to move on.
"And I know there are many other issues ... poverty in Africa, climate change, making progress in Israel and Palestine.
"So there is a very very big agenda."
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