TONY Blair is today facing his toughest conference speech yet. JAMES SLACK spoke to the Worcester delegate at the Labour Party conference, Paul Denham, before the Prime Minister took the stage.

TONY Blair must show he is listening to the "voices of discontent" in his own party, according to Worcester's delegate at the Labour conference.

Paul Denham, who is deputy leader of Worcester City Council's Labour Group, is not among the growing band of activists wanting to see the back of the Prime Minister.

He believes most of the policies being pursued by Mr Blair - targeting help at disadvantaged wards such as his own, St Barnabas, and trying to build a fairer society - are right.

Coun Denham also believes Mr Blair is the right man to help City MP Mike Foster keep his seat at the next General Election and return Labour to power on the city council.

Attitude

But he does want Mr Blair to show a change of attitude when he delivers his 10th conference speech today.

"For the people I represent, the likes of the Sure Start programme, the minimum wage which is being increased to £4.50 this week, and money from the Children's Fund are making an enormous difference.

"I want to see more of that - but I also want to see a bit more of a public recognition that Mr Blair is listening to the voices of discontent within the party.

"We have heard him say that in private meetings, but I want to hear him say it publicly so the Labour Party in Worcester and around the country can see they are being listened to.''

Coun Denham admits he was personally not very pleased with Mr Blair's handling of the Iraq crisis, saying he made the case for war in the wrong way.

The PM focused on claims Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Instead he should have focused on the mass genocide perpetrated by the Iraqi dictator.

"There are a number of decisions which Mr Blair has made with which I was not entirely happy, but I am not yet convinced there is a better leader available."