James Forsyth reviews the week in politics
When William Hague put on his masterful performance at the Dispatch Box last year, imagining how Gordon Brown would feel as President Blair’s motorcade pulled into Downing Street, it seemed the funniest thing in the world to the Tories. But the last laugh may yet be on them. The idea of President Blair is now featuring in their own nightmares — especially given how unpopular David Cameron expects to be after the first year of his cuts agenda. One Tory elder is warning friends: within 18 months, Blair may yet again be the most popular politician in Britain.
A Blair EU presidency is not (yet) regarded as probable, but the prospect already has Westminster in a fluster. Brown’s Downing Street is throwing what diplomatic weight it has behind him as the Tories do the opposite. Those Cabinet ministers unofficially running the Blair campaign are urgently advising him to move out of ‘come and get me’ mode and start actively campaigning for the job.
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