Today I'm writing a special letter to my constituents to mark the final day in office of our Prime Minister, Tony Blair.                

                                    For thirteen years he’s been the leader of the Labour Party and for ten years he’s led our country. Throughout that time it’s been a pleasure to work under him and to pursue together a vision we both share; a vision of a fairer, more prosperous Britain.

Tony Blair has had a profound impact on my Party and on the country. He is, as was said today at Prime Minister’s Questions, the most successful leader the Labour Party has ever had. From eighteen years of opposition wilderness he turned us into the natural party of government. The incredible landslide victory of 1997 was larger and more devastating than Margaret Thatcher’s in 1983 and was even larger than Attlee’s victory in 1945. Everyone within the Labour movement owes him an enormous debt of gratitude.

But our Prime Minister for the last ten years was always much more than a leader of a group or a sectional interest; he was the leader of the entire nation. His successes are too numerous to mention here but special attention should be given to the profound constitutional changes wrought by devolution and the introduction of elected Mayors. The introduction of the minimum wage has been a wonderful achievement and, in Tony Blair’s words, has become “a symbol of decency and fairness”. The special focus on education has seen many new and improving schools (and results to match) both nationally and locally. Over the next decade every single secondary school in Lewisham will benefit from a massive cash injection, which will see many schools completely rebuilt and others refurbished. Additionally, Knights Academy and St Josephs have both seen huge investment through the Academies programme.

Perhaps most importantly, bringing peace to Northern Ireland after so many years of conflict and misery is something that marks out Tony as a statesman of rare talent.

After ten years in government – as with ten years in any walk of life – you’d expect disagreements and setbacks, and we’ve had them. But we’ve worked through them, as is our duty, and we’re as determined as ever to serve this country. I know I’m as determined as ever to work hard for Lewisham East. Now we have a new Prime Minister and a renewed sense of purpose, but we know that anything we achieve in the future will be achieved because we are standing on Tony Blair’s shoulders.