TONY Blair's speech to the joint houses of the American Congress revealed where his heart really lies.

He's undoubtedly at his most comfortable with American values, standing among those who share them and basking in the glow of approval from numerous standing ovations.

This stands in stark contrast with his difficult relationships with his European Union partners both over Iraq and on economic reform, and with our own Parliamentarians and trade unions over the deregulation and privatisation of public services, Blair's so-called "reform" agenda.

He was always an improbable Labour leader, but is now revealed as totally implausible.

In his speech, Blair effectively committed himself to an international order, often articulated by US arch-conservative Richard Pearle, that asserts the predominance of US superpower status over the United Nations as "a reality".

Pearle's on record as championing the death of the UN and favouring pre-emptive action by "coalitions of the willing".

In the run-up to the invasion, and having failed to "deliver" Europe to the Bush administration, Blair fomented a split among European nations with a declaration signed by right-wing governments supporting the war.

What's now clear is that we have a Prime Minister who has turned Britain into a client state of the US and wishes the EU to follow the US both in economic and in foreign policy.

Labour has always stood for the promotion of international peace through the United Nations.

It's clear that, in the 21st Century, the UN has to address the violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and regimes who kill and torture.

The Declaration is owned by the whole of humanity, not Bush and Blair. Abrogating the delivery of international justice to the Bush conservatives is a recipe for more war and terrorism.

Blair should stay in America and let the Labour Party re-engage with the principles of international co-operation represented by the United Nations and the social dimension of the European Union.

PETER NIELSEN,

Worcester.