Skipper

Can't wait to hear if Ireland has said 'yes' to Lisbon. Then if the Poles and Czechs ratify- as they appear to be on brink of doing- Blair's presidency will become a live issue and he could be in post by the end of the month. The Tories are still terrified of Blair as the 'political miracle worker' and hero of Dave Cameron. Hague has already alluded to the fear that he will create a powerful role for the presidency, just as the Younger Pitt- the subject of the former boy wonder's brilliant biography of course, made First Lord of the Treasury the most powerful office in Britain's emerging democracy in the late 18th century.

As for Labour, many of them- including this blogger- would love to see someone from their tribe heading up the EU. Will it happen? I don't think Ireland will say no to Lisbon but some heads of state might balk at the joint architect of the Iraq invasion. My fingers are crossed. Peter Riddell wonders if Tories are not going to get too involved in Europe again. It won't win them any votes and most brits could not care less if Blair becomes EU President. I would love to see the EU strengthened as an institution: as an internationalist I want to see MORE integrative pooling of sovereignty and less nationalistic anarchy in the world. I'd rather like to think well of Tony Blair again too. If he could only still those inner voices telling him to do God's will, he could still achieve something like greatness.