I still say that Blair was the most successful leader that I have known, Steve and nothing you have said disputes that. Yes, he totally cocked it up with the war. Until then he did a good job and kept the party in power. Had he not become Bush's lapdog I believe Labour's tenure would have gone on much longer and the political climate would have been vastly different today.

I have gone "all daftly earth-mother and joined the bloody Greens" BTW. You can have a good laugh at that and I really don't mind. Once the earth's resources have gone or the air is too polluted to breathe it won't matter whether we go down the left of right hand road :-( I have not yet given up my Labour party membership get though. Maybe they will expel me now but even though they have their faults and I said I would go, I am reluctant to depart!