Looks like the government will increase road tax for drivers of four by fours. Also the boom in cheap airfares will end with higher taxation on the way too. Smoking ban comes into force in April. Bloody pressure groups of old hippies seem to get the ear of this government on a daily basis. Followed by the do gooders in our society making sure life prisoners get a good education and a comfortable lifestyle and 50% knocked off their sentences. If a country was ever in a mess it's this one.

Unfortunately, I don't think they are bowing to pressure. Listening to the electorate isn't what this government does. It just suits them to tax 4x4s and air travel because they increase revenue. The 'environmental concerns' are just an excuse they use to get away with it.

As for smoking, while I sympathise with smokers who will have to choose between giving up and staying outside the pub (go on! give up, you know it makes sense!), the ban can't come soomn enough for me - on Saturday my voice was reduced to a croak by the end of the evening, partly because of the smoke.

As for the prison sentences, that's mainly because of the government's mishandling of jails. They knew space would run out and did folk all about it, so they reduced sentences or give suspended sentences as a way of keeping people out of jail.

I agree with your last sentence though. Nothing is likely to change until Blair vacates the throne, which he still shows no sign of doing. My only hope is that they find something soon to implicate him in the cash for honours scandals, and get him kicked out of office (preferably before his 10th "jubilee" - heh, heh!)