Will Brown do to Blair what Macmillan did to Eden at Suez?

The greatest part of the Blair premiership has been notable for its sideways, crablike movements. Even on the occasions when the Prime Minister has been clear in his own mind about his destination, he has been opaque with the public at large and even with colleagues. There is an embedded belief in No. 10 that openness about motives or objectives is the same as giving away battle plans to the enemy. This is the main reason why Tony Blair has often dismayed his friends by failing to show leadership – think of taxation, parliamentary reform, fox-hunting and, above all, the euro. He has never moved an inch forward unless there is a ready-made coalition and well-prepared lines of retreat.

That is why the Prime Minister’s 90-minute press conference at Sedgefield on Tuesday afternoon was so shocking. Blair endorsed a bold and vigorous course of action, namely the invasion of Iraq, in the face of the opposition of fully 70 per cent of the British people.