* Tony Blair seems to be under the illusion that all those people who left the 'New Labour' party after his enthusiastic support for the disastrous invasion of Iraq will come running back to the party after he has left for the lucrative US lecture circuit. This seems a trifle odd as it is generally held that such decisions are made by the whole of the cabinet i.e. joint responsibility. Either he is letting us know that there was no such consultation and he has been running things 'a la Stalin' or when he goes the whole of the cabinet will be going too. If the first then they should all go , if the second then this is a matter for great joy as all the useless buffoons will be going, not including Gordon Brown I presume. However, I doubt his leaving will be followed by a rush of returning voters, I think his effect on the party will be the same as thatcher on the tories.
He also suggested that his going was to avoid being given the 'Royal Order of the Boot' like Ms thatcher did, although the idea of a tearful Tony being dragged to the big black car is rather appealing. If this is true (and he hasn't said it three times so we can't be sure) then it suggests a groundswell of discontent in the party well beyond that the media have been suggesting. Considering that he went to war in Iraq thinking he would pick up lots of 'Falklands War' kudos and avoid the fate of having to live up to his promise to Gordon Brown to let Gordon have a steer of the sinking ship, one would have to be humourless not to laugh and clap one's hands with glee.