Blair ignored warnings not to upset Women's Institute

PRIME Minister Tony Blair was heckled off stage by the Women's Institute after ignoring warnings to avoid "capital P politics".

- BY GAVIN CORDON

Women's Institute

His speech to 10,000 members at Wembley Arena turned into a fiasco as he was also slow handclapped by the WI, furious he had used their conference for a "party political broadcast".

The reaction was widely seen as evidence that New Labour had lost touch with Middle England voters.

Now freshly released papers show Sir Tony received mixed advice after circulating a draft of his speech. Officials cautioned him to avoid party politics, while key advisers, including David Miliband and Alastair Campbell, said it needed to be more political.