It is a tragic legacy of the Blair years that Britain's role as an honest international broker has been lost. We are now linked irrevocably to the US position, and can no longer present ourselves as unbiased.
Bit like Hazel Blears. Although technically Chairman of the Labour Party, or Chairwoman, she is in no way a representative figure. She is a Blair Quisling.
Like something from dystopial novel, she parrots the same empty phrases over and over, each one more meaningless than the last.
When she was apppointed to 'direct and unify' the party machine earlier this year, there were audible gasps of astonishment. Her predecessor, Ian McCartney, had made an excellent chairman and proved to be a shrewd choice. Respected by party members, unions and MPs alike, McCartney was also conspiciously loyal in a way only a former trade unionist could be.
Just at a time when the party most needs a unifying figure, Blair appoints the most annoying woman in the government to chair the party. Yet more evidence if how out of touch he is with his own people.
And so to this morning's Times, where la Blears is speaking directly to the rank and file of the Labour party, who of course all read The Times.
Like a cut-price Nanny McPhee, the tiny Blairite manages, with Hewitt-like multi-tasking, to both talk down to and belittle her own activists. Yea, she doesn't just want a show of unity, she wants actual unity.
Talk me through that again Hazel? You want to impose ACTUAL unity on a party more divided than it has ever been? You want no debate and no dissent?
While she is busy talking bollocks to the Murdoch press about unity, she seems to have failed to notice the 15m plus debt the party is in. Or the fact that they are being massacred in the opinion polls by a Tory party yet to mention a policy.
She has noticed that Labour are headed for meltdown at the local, Scottish and Welsh elections next year - but used that as another reason for automatic unity.
As one Labour activist said, let's hope this is the conference where the party finally get some balls, stand up for themselves and throw the Blears of this world out on their arse.
The voters would appreciate NOT having ministers like her swanning round implying that Labour are now the natural party of government. Nothing is more likely to alienate the voters than giving the impression you think you deserve to be in power.
