McG, it's wishful to think Blair is better in any sense than Howard. Howard will wipe the floor with him at PMQs, though I realise it won't do him any good. Even Hague did that, but politics has become a minority interest and people are past caring.

My guess is that the Tories will be massively rejuventated by this bloodless coup. I hope so, because it's time someone - anyone - put a bomb under New Labour and made politics entertaining again.