LORD Tebbit, the man who once savaged the Opposition with his rapier-like wit, turned up at the Labour Party conference in Brighton yesterday to support Tony Blair.

A few years ago it would have been unthinkable.

But the old Tory rottweiler turned into a pussycat - at least for a day.

He had a vested interest, of course.

Storming Norman is now a non-executive director with BT and Tony Blair was trying to conclude his information highway agreement with the company. And the former Tory chairman praised the move.

It must have left his old colleagues, who once saw him as their most feared front-line general, spitting feathers.

With their fortunes at an all-time low and their own conference just around the corner, the sight of Lord Tebbit supporting the Labour leader, even if it was for his own ends, must have been the last straw.

A severe case of the Blues.

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