For Gordon Brown, seven and half years is a long time in politics

Interviewed on Channel 4, Gordon Brown said this:

I'm very pleased that Tony Blair will be helping us.

We campaigned as New Labour and then governed as New Labour.

Now having governed as New Labour we're going to campaign as New Labour.

In 2002, when he was in one of his regular anti-Blair moods, he made a little speech to the conference and didn't mention New Labour once.

In 2003 there was a slight improvement.  New Labour was mentioned once.

In 2004 New Labour got plenty of mentions, but the party is was in pre-election mode.

The life and times of Gordon Brown.