- guardian.co.uk, Sunday 1 April 2001 04.39 BST
The Economy
'You can't trust Labour' won the Tories the 1992 election. But Brown has turned Labour's Achilles heel into its strongest electoral card. The next phase is to rewrite the language of economic policy - government should seek not to 'spend' but to 'invest'.
Redistribution
They haven't shouted about it, but the worst-off have done best under Labour. Incomes for the poorest 10 per cent have gone up by 9 per cent - the direct result of government action - from the minimum wage to the working family's tax credit.
Northern Ireland
The most intractable issue in British politics. Has taken up more time than any other issue but has been contained, with genuine prospects of hope. Devolution stalled twice but the referendum showed what the voters expect.
Clare Short
Many thought she would be the most gaffe-prone member of the Government. Her 'golden elephant' diplomacy towards Montserrat in 1997 showed a lack of tact. But the new Department for International Development has done much to reshape debate and delivery. The White Paper on 'Making Globalisation Work for the Poor' makes more sense than almost anything else written in the post-Seattle fallout. There has been progress on redeeming debt - though more
is needed.
Miss
The Dome
Never again - not in a thousand years.
The trains
The Tory campaign poster 'You paid the tax - so where are the trains?' may reach new levels of political cheek but John Prescott certainly hasn't fixed the crisis. Most commuters would like the train companies to get a good kicking - but the Government also wants to increase rail travel in the hope of reviving the 'integrated transport policy'.
Asylum and immigration
Fear of being out-Widdecombed has seen the Government fail to explain clearly to the public the case for a principled stand on Britain's international obligations. Should do better.
'Ethical foreign policy'
Robin Cook claims he never said the above words - he certainly never explained what they meant. The Kosovo war was the biggest risk taken in the first term but not regulating the arms trade left room for charges of hypocrisy.
Football
'Have you noticed how we only win the World Cup under a Labour government?' said Harold Wilson. But failure in France 98 and Euro 2000 can't be covered up by a few golds in Sydney.
Maybe
Delivery, Delivery, Delivery
The test of a second term will be whether Labour can improve schools and hospitals. For all the controversies about sticking to Tory spending plans for two years, departments have struggled to allocate cash now free.
New Politics
'Are you a control freak or a pluralist?' as Paddy Ashdown asked after Blair spurned marriage in favour of casual sex. Devolution has been delivered, albeit marred by trying to hold on too strong. Only a more relaxed second term would give Labour the creativity to renew itself in office.
Europe
Hard decisions can't be evaded. A euro referendum would be New Labour's biggest risk but would define Blair's place in history.
