I prefer Tony Blair to the kind so Tories who are on offer. But I don't think there'd be much to choose between him and Tories such as the one time Macleod, or say Chris Patton. As I said, a decent Tory government, still dealing with the appalling legacy of a series of appalling Tory governments.

Yes, the kind of things which London's Burning mentions could help, and if there'd been a government ready to think along this lines it wouldn't have got to this stage.

The alternative to striking when you are driven to they limit is to quit the job. But that's just another way of withdrawing your labour, and one that potentially does far more damage to the fire service - and how would that help? Striking, while standing ready to abandon the strike when lives are at risk, is a more sensible compromise, and that's what they did this week.