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BBC News Online political correspondent Nick Assinder offers his view on events at the Labour conference in Blackpool.

Bill Clinton is the star turn for conference on Wednesday.

The day kicks off with a debate on "education and skills" led by Education Secretary Estelle Morris.

Home Secretary David Blunkett follows with a debate on "crime, justice, citizenship and engagement."

President Clinton kicks off the afternoon session as the "international fraternal speaker" and will be followed by Health Secretary Alan Milburn on "improving health and social care."

It has now emerged that there are going to be no new announcements at this conference.

The big speeches usually contain morsels for the party and media to get their teeth into.

But after two days - nothing.

Apparently the word went out from Number 10 that there should be no revelations during the conference.

Presumably that is either because this is no longer seen as an appropriate forum or because no one must be allowed to overshadow Tony Blair.

It appears the party leadership now regards this as a one stunt occasion - and Tony is the stunt.

Tony Blair confessed to the conference that he had lost his love of popularity for its own sake.

He told the conference: "When I was in Blackpool for the TUC a few weeks ago I was driving along in the car and this elderly man with grey hair, well dressed, looked in the window of the car, spotted me and gave me a dirty great big V-sign.

"I thought 'he looks a respectable enough bloke. It could be anyone - it could be my father-in-law'."

"I should have given one in return shouldn't I really?"

Surprisingly, Tony Blair had a pretty good day.

He wasn't heckled, he wasn't jeered and he wasn't booed.

Then again, despite the vague concession to work with the unions, he wasn't really taking any notice of the conference anyway.

And most of the delegates in the Winter Gardens appeared to accept the fact that they either stuck with him or went their own way.

Even John Edmonds was nice to him afterwards.

Old Labour had a very bad day.

Just as they thought they were making gains, Tony Blair to all intents and purposes cuts them adrift in his conference speech.

The big question now is over how they will react.

Peter Mandelson declaring at a fringe meeting that he was "tribal Labour" before joking: "Forget all this New Labour ****!"

The instant Tony Blair finished speaking, his predecessor Neil Kinnock raced off the stage straight over to spin-doctor-in-chief Alastair Campbell.

"Brilliant speech," he gushed while shaking Ali's hand, "Brilliant."

Anyone would have thought Ali had written it!

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One delegate to another after Blair's big speech.

"If he boldly goes forward any further we will have to invent the warp drive to get him back to Blackpool."