In the December 2008 special issue of the "Oxford Review of Education" John Furlong focused upon Tony Blair's modernisation of the teaching profession and associated attempts to harness teacher professionalism to a broader reform agenda. This article responds to Furlong's contribution through an examination of the evidence base used to support his conclusions, the way in which different types of evidence are used in this process and the criteria used to judge Blair's success in this venture. It is suggested that Blair's reforms of the teaching profession might be better viewed as a mere technicality within a wider scheme rather than the "big prize" claimed by Furlong. It concludes by suggesting an alternative approach to writing the history of Blair and New Labour in this context which foregrounds the relationship between teachers and the state.