The party that loved - and then loathed Blair

London -- When Tony Blair promised a "new dawn" on the steps of Downing Street in May 1997, he was hailed as a hero by his New Labour Party and embraced as an inspiring reformist politician around the world. Nine years on, Blair's star has faded.

Some of the vision, mission and sparkle of the "conviction politician" are still there, but many British voters and a large section of the Labour party have been tired of these.

Back in 1997, at age 43, Blair became the youngest British premier of the 20th century. His victory ended 18 years of Conservative rule, shaped enduringly by the "Thatcher years".

Now aged 53, and only months away from marking his 10th anniversary in power in May, Blair reluctantly had to forfeit his dream of beating Margaret Thatcher's record 11 years in Downing Street - a goal he would have reached by the end of 2008.

Under intense pressure from his party, Blair was forced to declare in early September that he would step down "in the next 12 months".

Clearly unhappy about having to go earlier than he wanted, Blair said: "I would have preferred to do this my way."

But over time, too many things had gone wrong for the party to grant their leader his choice of exit date.

Critics of Blair cite his close support for US President George W. Bush, especially after the attacks of 9/11 and Britain's direct involvement in the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan as the main reason for their disillusionment.

On issues of domestic policy, Blair is seen as having moved away from Labour goals on education, health and social policy. His embrace of globalisation is also unpopular.

The party has been rattled by a steady decline in voter support and a halving of its membership to 200,000 - from more than 400,000 in 1997.

Even though he won his last election for Labour - albeit with a much reduced majority - only in May 2005, Blair has not been able to hold at bay those in the party who now believe he is a liability rather than an asset for the next election.

On the contrary, he has fuelled his critics' anger by delaying his departure, and amending his own pledges as to how and when he would hand over power to his successor.

Supporters of Gordon Brown, the powerful Chancellor of the Exchequer to whom Blair allegedly made a promise of succession as long ago as 1994, sent a clear signal earlier this month that they are fed up with waiting.

A near-rebellion by Brown's supporters forced Blair to state on Sep 7 that he will have to go within a year.

With pressure mounting for Blair to go "sooner rather than later", Labour delegates will be holding their breath for a clear sign of when and how, the changeover will come.

Analysts say the mood at this year's conference is unpredictable. While most delegates will probably be prepared to give Blair a "dignified farewell", others could be provoked into more open rebellion.

Back in 1997, all factions of the party, whether Old Labour, New Labour or even the remnants of socialist Labour were happy to endorse a leader who promised renewal and above all, power and success.

Today, however, Blair's support rests mainly with the original 1997 intake of members of parliament, among whom more than 100 were women.