Blair Left Isolated After Bush Smashed in Elections

I've been meaning to update you with my thoughts on the US elections - but I've been on the road all week, addressing packed meetings in Brighton, Oxford, Manchester, Bristol, Swindon and Leicester. Once again, I've been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of people for this campaign.

The results of Tuesday's elections in the States are a watershed. The message of the American people is clear - there needs to be a major change of direction on Iraq. Just as in Britain, people in the US feel that they have been ill-advised, misled, and ignored and with the death toll in Iraq mounting on a daily basis they are saying enough is enough.

These election results have not only damaged Bush, but they mean that Blair is now totally isolated in the international community.

Unless we heed the people's verdict in the US, there is every chance that the British electorate will similarly punish Labour at the next election for our role in the chaos of Iraq.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate Bernie Sanders for his successful election to the US Senate. This is the first time in American history that a socialist has been elected to the Senate. Bernie opposed the war in Iraq, opposed the Patriot Act and is a support of free health care. The election of Senator Bernie Sanders shows that there is a growing demand in the US for an alternative to the disastrous policies of Bush's administration.

Don't Duck Climate Change Agenda in Queen's Speech

The Queen's Speech will be absolutely critical in determining the Government's agenda on climate change. We are now in the last chance saloon and our fear is that we will get a climate change bill heavy on spin but light on substance.

According to Friends of the Earth, the UK produces 2.3% of the world's CO2, from just 1% of the world's population. The UK must take its responsibilities seriously and harness the technology and resources at our disposal to stop climate change.

What we need is a Climate Change Bill with teeth, which has measurable annual targets. These must be met if we're going to tackle the climate change catastrophe facing our planet.

The sort of targets we will be looking to be included in the proposed legislation will include:

• Annual reductions in carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to 3% per annum
• Sectoral targets for industry
• Tougher energy efficiency targets
• Significant increase in renewable energy sources in electricity generation and in transport
  

Website success

It's been nearly four months now since I launched my campaign for Labour's future. One of the main ways that I have tried to communicate with you is through this blog - by letting you know what I'm up to as well as explaining what I'm standing for. I've been absolutely overwhelmed by your response. Since the website was launched in July, there have been nearly half a million hits. I've been absolutely overwhelmed by thousands of your emails of support. I want to thank all those who've written to me - and I look forward to meeting many of you on the campaign trail over the coming months.

I've also been fascinated by the debates that have taken place on the blog over the main issues of the day. In order to allow the debate to flow better, I'm turning off the moderation of comments for now. That means that your contributions will instantly appear without having to wait for approval. This is a trial run - but I hope that we will see even more debate conducted in a friendly spirit over the issues that matter to you.