Skipper

What on earth was Tony Blair on about in Bristol yesterday? According to Patrick Wintour today he called "for an increase in summary justice which would bring the law 'right back down to the level of the street'". What does he want us to do? Join those mobs which damaged the house of a paediatrician some time back in the mistaken belief that this was a paedophile? Arm ourselves with baseball bats and lynch anti-social teenagers? (Actually such action does occasionally seem tempting I have to admit)?

I'm not saying the problems of law and order in many communities are not acute and need to be tackled but Blair is making two mega mistakes right now.

Firstly, he is piling initiative on initiative in an attempt to appear tough and in control. Some of the major authorities on criminology today line up to condemn this frenetic tendency to capture the favourable spotlight of 'headline grabbing legislation'.

Secondly, he just doesn't get it. His ability to influence public opinion let alone events, has long since past. I write as a member of the party, but even audiences of supporters no longer credit or listen seriously to what he says. He has so degraded the currency of truth during his nine years of premiership that his ability to function as an effective politician has been over for some time.