BRIGHTON (England), Sept 29: Prime Minister Tony Blair apologized on Thursday to an 82-year-old man ejected from the annual conference of his Labour Party for heckling over Iraq, a row threatening to overshadow the event’s final day.

Asked if Walter Wolfgang, a refugee from Nazi Germany who has been a Labour Party member for 57 years, had his personal apology, Blair told GMTV television: “Yes, he does. I’m really sorry about it.”

The prime minister spent much of Friday morning engaged in a long series of television and radio interviews, talking up his government’s record on subjects such as Iraq, anti-terrorism, crime and the economy.

But again and again, Blair was forced to address what has become a public relations disaster at a conference he might have hoped would celebrate Labour’s return to power in May for an unprecedented third consecutive term.

Wolfgang was thrown out of the conference hall in Brighton, a southern English seaside resort, during a speech on Wednesday by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

As Straw discussed the situation in Iraq, Wolfgang, who opposed the March 2003 invasion, shouted ‘nonsense’ and was ejected by stewards. As he tried to re-enter the venue he was stopped by police under anti-terrorism laws.

The apparently heavy-handed tactics — another delegate who protested at Wolfgang’s treatment was also ejected — dominated newspaper headlines on Thursday, far more so than Straw’s speech itself.

Late on Wednesday, Labour Party chairman Ian McCartney said sorry for the incident, while officials returned both ejected delegates’ conference passes, meaning they could attend the final day.

“I would say I’m very sorry. I wasn’t actually in the conference centre at the time, but it should never have happened,” Blair said in another interview, with BBC radio, noting that the stewards were all volunteers.

“We will have to make sure training is better. You should not treat an elderly man like that,” he added.

Despite some remaining euphoria from May’s general election win, and the still-parlous state of the main opposition Conservative Party, the five-day conference has proved a far from a celebratory affair.

Away from Iraq, the event has been dominated by speculation as to when Blair will step down from power and who will take over from him.

Last year Blair said he would not seek a fourth term in office and would step down as Labour leader and prime minister ahead of the next general election, which must take place before May 2010.

Blair’s respected and long-standing finance minister Gordon Brown is considered the overwhelming favourite to take over, and his supporters have begun pressuring the prime minister to go sooner rather than later. Mr Brown’s main conference speech was widely viewed as him setting out his proposals for power, declaring there could be no turning back on reforms introduced by Blair.—AFP