EAST Lancashire Euro-MP Mike Hindley fires a bizarre early parting shot today as he prepares to pack in.

For he predicts the break-up of the Labour Party before the next election and accuses Tony Blair of being a Tory.

It is, of course, absurd to consider such a sudden collapse of Labour - when it commands more power than ever before.

But if Mr Hindley envisages the demise of the Labour Party as he would like it to be, then his prophesy is already realised.

For if Old Labour is not yet dead, it is very much done for - and not just at the hands of Tony Blair's reforms, but at the voters' overwhelming approval of them.

Mr Hindley may regret the party's shift to the right.

But who listens to - let alone, elects - the old socialists any more?

Times, the voters and the Labour Party have changed even if Mr Hindley hasn't.

But if he doesn't like what the party has become, he can always quit.

Previous news story

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.