A Renewed Covenant

The Vicar of Downing Street has placed a sermon in the Guardian; perhaps the Daily Mail has become over-fastidious. For those lacking the energy to absorb the full glory of his reverence's theology, hagiography and homily, an abridged version is offered herewith. I trust nothing important has been omitted.

It is the best of times ... any Labour activist ... what we have since achieved ... nine years of economic growth ... best employment record ... public services improving ... less likely to be victims of crime ... any time in recent history ... huge cuts in child and pensioner poverty ... leading place ... international effort ... development and climate change ... long-held Labour ambitions ... devolution ... minimum wage ... three election victories ... a fourth ... pensions to energy to public-service reform ... only serious policy agenda on offer ... driving it forward on every front ... a Labour government lost an election ... cuts and chaos of the late 70s ... problems of the past months ... genuine disappointment ... in cases, disillusion ... actually ... long-serving ... two key things ... strategy of pessimism ... our opponents intend to defeat us ... I was on a platform ... mother of four from Oldham ... changes to the criminal-justice system ... critical of the way the system worked ... spoke eloquently ... antisocial behaviour legislation ... regeneration of the inner cities ... her life and her community ... joined the Labour party ... the March for Jobs ... annual NHS winter crisis ... schools with outside toilets ... pensioner fuel poverty ... Africa ... climate change ... renew the Labour party ... big idea behind New Labour ... economic efficiency ... social justice ... myself and Gordon Brown ... expanding opportunity ... economic success ... moral imperative ... efficiency ... justice ... fairness ... the future ... renewal ... renewing ... direction ... direction ... I was at a conference ... contestability, diversity of provision and consumer choice ... renewal ... renewing ... taking further what we've done ... more power ... service user - power ... wealth ... need ... enabling ... controlling ... extending choice and voice ... old barriers that restrict the creativity of the frontline ... go further ... law-and-order policies ... past nine years ... on the side of the people ... our alliances ... US ... EU ... strong ... interventionist ... enterprise and business ... trade unions ... correct positions ... progressive politics ... modern era ... debate ... openly and candidly ... "renewal" ... public service ... big business ... viable programme for government ... "renewal" ... myth of betrayal ... this Labour government ... better record than any ... manifesto commitments ... myth ... reality of policy ... hard work ... ruling party ... your own government ... attacking your opponent's ... centre ground ... slick PR strategy ... real-life policy decision ... best strategy ... best ideas ... renewal is vital ... renewal starts ... looking back in anger ... looking forward in hope and expectation ... hope ... conviction ... New Labour ... in office ... proud economic record ... fostering public and private investment ... science, skills and infrastructure ... energy security and sustainable growth ... streamlining planning ... stimulating private enterprise ... knowledge-based, high-value-added industrial and service base ... real progress ... employment, education and poverty ... more ambitious ... radical ... addressing the problems ... socially excluded ... public-service reforms ... diversity of provision ... payment by results ... individualised budgets ... public-service reform ... ambitious national standards ... diversity of providers ... new choice or a stronger voice ... take this forward ... criminal justice ... public services ... self-improving systems ... modernise central and local government ... balance rights with responsibilities ... radical reform ... criminal-justice system ... focuses on the offender ... rights of the victim ... welfare reform ... need to go further ... new entitlements ... higher expectations ... foreign policy ... interventionist, internationalist, multilateralist ... driven by our values ... reform international institutions ... values ... challenges ... debate ... Labour ... next election ... renewing ... dumping ... let's hear it.