Blair's search for science stars taps the power of yoof

Blair said last week that 19th Century civil engineers such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel were national figures for what they achieved, and that we need such rolemodels for the kids of t'day. The Prime Minister insisted that scientists are "stars," and that they should be as celebrated and famous as sportsmen and women or actors. Not long until a Stem Cell Research Idol, perhaps? ITV, this could be your big break.

On a trip to Oxford, Blair paid a visit to Regenatec, a company that mainly convert engines to run on plant and vegetable oils. He commented, in a true nod to Old Labour, "visionary stuff, directly linked to saving our planet; but also hopefully commercial."

If you feel like watching Britain's Born Again Labourite rattle on about children, science, and how he was crap at it, you should mosey on down to the PM's website, essentially a ghostwritten blog, where you can watch the speech in full. µ